,~»**&&&¶¶                                          ¶¶&&&**»~,
,~»**&&¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶&&**»~,
,~»**&&###                                          ###&&**»~,
,~»**&&¶##                                          ##¶&&**»~,
,~~~~*&&&&                                          &&&&*~~~~,
,~»**&&¶##         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ##¶&&**»~,
,,,,»*&&¶#         * 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.        ##@#@*;»,¨
¨:=\§%†*#§                                          §#*†%§\=:¨
¨.=\=%£@#@                                          @#@£%=\=.¨
,.-\^£##@#                                          #@##£^\-.,
¨~=/=&####                                          ####&=/=~¨
,,=\=$&@##                                          ##@&$=\=,,