.:~;§§§¶##                                          ##¶§§§;~:.
..:~;§§§¶#                                          #¶§§§;~:..
...:~;§§§¶                                          ¶§§§;~:...
....:~;§§§                                          §§§;~:....
.....:~;§§                                          §§;~:.....
......:~;§         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         §;~:......
.......:~;         ; 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@¶   $^:=,,.,,¨
¨,,,.«^*&#   #@where@they@came,@###@##and#then@###  #&*^«.,,,¨
¨..-~†§¤&#   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge*~   #&¤§†~-..¨
,.~»^*£¤##   ««being » stolen ~~ from «-~ them. .   ##¤£*^»~.,
¨~«;*$£@##          ~» ,  =»« ¨  =.  -=  -          ##@£$*;«~¨
,.-~;^%§@#    ^   ,,          ,                .    #@§%^;~-.,
,.,:~;*%@£        ¨      .          ¨      †        £@%*;~:,.,
....-~*=$£                                          £$=*~-....
,...,.-^*%                   ¨#¨                    %*^-.,...,
,,,.,,-~†*                                          *†~-,,.,,,
.¨,,¨¨.-«;                   and,                   ;«-.¨¨,,¨.
¨.,.¨¨,-:%                                          %:-,¨¨.,.¨
,.,¨,,»††£  now the reach of the pool has widened.  £††»,,¨,.,
.,.¨,«;=£@       now its wolves see further.        @£=;«,¨.,.
,.,.»:%¤§@                                          @§¤%:».,.,
¨¨--†*%£@#                                          #@£%*†--¨¨
.^=\*$@@##                                          ##@@$*\=^.
.¨~-**@¤@#                                          #@¤@**-~¨.
...,-:*%£#                                          #£%*:-,...