..^«\*$§@#                                          #@§$*\«^..
...^«\*$§@                                          @§$*\«^...
..^«\*$§@#                                          #@§$*\«^..
.^«\*$§@##                                          ##@§$*\«^.
..^«\*$§@#                                          #@§$*\«^..
...^«\*$§@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @§$*\«^...
..^«\*$§@#         \ the wolf pool exists \         #@§$*\«^..
.^«\*$§@##         \ in a stale timeline, \         ##@§$*\«^.
..^«\*$§@#         \  branched way back   \         #@§$*\«^..
...^«\*$§@         \  when kirugu vargir  \         @§$*\«^...
..^«\*$§@#         \  was almost barren,  \         #@§$*\«^..
.^«\*$§@## comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ##@§$*\«^.
..^«\*$§@#  and plants were only starting to grow,  #@§$*\«^..
...^«\*$§@         \        at all...     \         @§$*\«^...
..^«\*$§@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@§$*\«^..
¨-»=†*§#@#                                          #@#§*†=»-¨
,¨,»;=%@¶#     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. ,   #@@£$^\«,¨
¨¨-~^%£§¶#          -« ,  =~« ¨  -.  ,~  »          #¶§£%^~-¨¨
..¨:~:†%&@    .   ~-          :                ,    @&%†:~:¨..
,¨:=/*%§@@        ,      ¨          ,      ^        @@§%*/=:¨,
¨^=\%%#£@#                                          #@£#%%\=^¨
,.,-\*$£@#                   ¨#.                    #@£$*\-,.,
¨.,.»:$%§#                                          #§%$:».,.¨
,,-«\*@@#@                   and,                   @#@@*\«-,,
¨,«*^$£@##                                          ##@£$^*«,¨
¨,-~^%@#@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@#@%^~-,¨
,.,^~;*@£@        now its wolves see further.       @£@*;~^,.,
¨¨,«^%@@@@                                          @@@@%^«,¨¨
,,~\$%§@##                                          ##@§%$\~,,
.¨.»=%$¤¶#                                          #¶¤$%=».¨.
,,..~^=$£@                                          @£$=^~..,,
¨.--/†$&@#                                          #@&$†/--.¨