,^-^§¤#¶@#                                          #@¶#¤§^-^,
,^-^§¤#@##                                          ##@#¤§^-^,
,,,,^^§§#¶                                          ¶#§§^^,,,,
,,,^^^^§§#                                          #§§^^^^,,,
,^-^§¤#¶##                                          ##¶#¤§^-^,
,,,,,-^^§#         # -------------------- #         #§^^-,,,,,
,^-^§¤#¶@#         ^ 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.       #£%:=«~~,.
.,~=^£§¶#£                                          £#¶§£^=~,.
¨¨,¨~=^&£¶                                          ¶£&^=~¨,¨¨
,,»\%%§###                                          ###§%%\»,,
,.»:=¤¤###                                          ###¤¤=:».,
,.»†^&§###                                          ###§&^†».,