,,,,«^%%#£                                          £#%%^«,,,,
,,,«^%%#£#                                          #£#%%^«,,,
,,«^%%#£##                                          ##£#%%^«,,
,,,«^%%#£#                                          #£#%%^«,,,
,,,,«^%%#£                                          £#%%^«,,,,
,,,,,«^%%#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #%%^«,,,,,
,,,,,,«^%%         ^ 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.       @@^†~~,,,.
¨,,-«††£&@                                          @&£††«-,,¨
¨.,-:%£@@#                                          #@@£%:-,.¨
¨-~\^@&¶##                                          ##¶&@^\~-¨
,¨:«*$%#@#                                          #@#%$*«:¨,
.¨,:~/*£&#                                          #&£*/~:,¨.