.^-=**£¶##                                          ##¶£**=-^.
..^-=**£¶#                                          #¶£**=-^..
...^-=**£¶                                          ¶£**=-^...
..^-=**£¶#                                          #¶£**=-^..
.^-=**£¶##                                          ##¶£**=-^.
..^-=**£¶#         # -------------------- #         #¶£**=-^..
...^-=**£¶         = the wolf pool exists =         ¶£**=-^...
..^-=**£¶#         = in a stale timeline, =         #¶£**=-^..
.^-=**£¶##         =  branched way back   =         ##¶£**=-^.
..^-=**£¶#         =  when kirugu vargir  =         #¶£**=-^..
...^-=**£¶         =  was almost barren,  =         ¶£**=-^...
..^-=**£¶#  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, #¶£**=-^..
.^-=**£¶##  and plants were only starting to grow,  ##¶£**=-^.
..^-=**£¶#         =        at all...     =         #¶£**=-^..
...^-=**£¶         # -------------------- #         ¶£**=-^...
,,^»^^*££@                                          @££*^^»^,,
,,-/*£#£##     misplaced explorers traverse the     ##£#£*/-,,
¨,:~\%&¤##   landscape, searching for a way back,   ##¤&%\~:,¨
.¨,,~\^$¤@ finding instead only stone and dirt and  @¤$^\~,,¨.
¨¨-«/$@£¶@  roots that are as hard as the ground.   @¶£@$/«-¨¨
,-»:§@&@##   it's getting dark, they are thirsty,   ##@&@§:»-,
,,,«**%&@#     and about to find the wolf pool.     #@&%**«,,,
¨,.,»\†&§#                                          #§&†\»,.,¨
¨,.«^§%§£@                   ¨#¨                    @£§%§^«.,¨
¨,-†*&§@##                                          ##@§&*†-,¨
¨¨,-†%£&#@    the pool lies in a small meteorite    @#&£%†-,¨¨
,¨.^~\*$&¶    impact crater, sixty meters across.   ¶&$*\~^.¨,
,.:~†^¤@@#   it's surface is pitch black and even   #@@¤^†~:.,
.^~:*&@¶@#   though it's not well protected, it is  #@¶@&*:~^.
,¨,=;=@§##           undisturbed by wind.           ##§@=;=,¨,
¨..~«:*§§¶                                          ¶§§*:«~..¨
,,~-†*$£¶@                    ,#,                   @¶£$*†-~,,
,^»*^$§@##                                          ##@§$^*»^,
¨,.»;%£#£#     as they stumble on the pool, the     #£#£%;».,¨
,¨¨,~/%%§£  explorers first believe it to be water, £§%%/~,¨¨,
¨,:~;%%£##    which is something they all desire    ##£%%;~:,¨
¨,«^$£¤@##   greatly at this point. they fail to    ##@¤£$^«,¨
,.,»†=¤¤@# notice that the stars do not reflect on  #@¤¤=†»,.,
,.¨.~=$$&#   its surface. one of them crouches to   #&$$=~.¨.,
¨¨,«^*%¤£#    drink, forms a cup with his hands,    #£¤%*^«,¨¨
.^«/%*&@##      lowers the cup into the pool.       ##@&*%/«^.
,.:«:*%¤@@                                          @@¤%*:«:.,
¨.¨^=/§@§£  he tries to resist at first, but is too £§@§/=^¨.¨
¨¨,~^=§¤##  close, and he quickly gives up as the   ##¤§=^~,¨¨
.^~/§%§£@# liquid flows into his mind. the others,  #@£§%§/~^.
,¨-~\%%#£#   « not understanding the-danger, move   #£#%%\~-¨,
¨,..«†§%&@       closer to help their,friend.       @&%§†«..,¨
¨,,«**@@##       ¨      ~    »            - ,       ##@@**«,,¨
.,«/*$§@##    and,then¨the,pool.announces.itself    ##@§$*/«,.
¨.~»/%¤@#@      to,them¨-,sudden,:.thoughts.of,     @#@¤%/»~.¨
,¨.~«=%$@£    ,:«dark~wolves«.climbing-out~of.,~»   £@$%=«~.¨,
,¨^~†$$¤@@    ~=~the»pool,~surrounding†them;-\;\    @@¤$$†~^¨,
.,~^§$&£@#    ^sudden†thoughts†of»-*climbing/%%     #@£&$§^~,.
,.-=^%%&##   into*the=pool,†their%thirst§flaring§   ##&%%^=-.,
¨¨,,~;^*##     *$%bright%-*$a£sudden%$awareness#    ##*^;~,,¨¨
¨¨,~;%*#£#  #$of¤¤exactly&@how¤they@had¤traveled,¤# #£#*%;~,¨¨
.:»*%$#£##   #&of§the¶way#home@@to#the#time@from@£  ##£#$%*»:.
,¨:~;^£@@#  #£where#they#came,#@@###@and#then#@@@   #@@£^;~:¨,
,..-=/†£&@   #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge*=   @&£†/=-..,
.¨:=;%%@@#   «=being » stolen »= from -«» them. ,   #@@%%;=:¨.
,,~/^§&@##          «» ,  ~»= ¨  =,  :-  «          ##@&§^/~,,
¨.:~*§$¤##    -   ^.          ~                ¨    ##¤$§*~:.¨
¨,,-~†%&¤¶        .      .          ,      †        ¶¤&%†~-,,¨
¨,.~:^$&##                                          ##&$^:~.,¨
.,-;^§#@##                   ,#¨                    ##@#§^;-,.
¨¨,=;%@&##                                          ##&@%;=,¨¨
..¨,»^$@§@                   and,                   @§@$^»,¨..
,,-~=%£§@@                                          @@§£%=~-,,
.,«**@¤###  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ###¤@**«,.
,¨,~†$$£@#        now its wolves see further.       #@£$$†~,¨,
¨.,~-*†£@¶                                          ¶@£†*-~,.¨
¨..~†*££@#                                          #@££*†~..¨
.^~=*§§###                                          ###§§*=~^.
.¨-~†§@#£@                                          @£#@§†~-¨.
¨.,:»:%£&@                                          @&£%:»:,.¨