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