¨:~:††††*&                                          &*††††:~:¨
¨:~:†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†:~:¨
¨:~:†*&##@                                          @##&*†:~:¨
¨:~:†*&##@                                          @##&*†:~:¨
¨¨:::†**##                                          ##**†:::¨¨
¨:~:†*&#@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@#&*†:~:¨
¨:~:†*&###         : 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. ,   @§§§%$†~~.
¨.¨,,.~-*#          «~ ,  «~~ .  ~.  ,«  »          #*-~.,,¨.¨
,¨.¨,«%§@¶    ~   :^          :                ¨    ¶@§%«,¨.¨,
..»^%&££##        .      ¨          ,      ^        ##££&%^»..
,^~†=%¤@@#                                          #@@¤%=†~^,
.¨,.¨~:$&#                    .#.                   #&$:~¨.,¨.
,,~;%*¤@£@                                          @£@¤*%;~,,
.,¨.,*^†&#                   and,                   #&†^*,.¨,.
¨.,,-~§%£&                                          &£%§~-,,.¨
..-^†§§#@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@#§§†^-..
¨,--»~=^££        now its wolves see further.       ££^=~»--,¨
,^=*$%§###                                          ###§%$*=^,
,:»:^££@@#                                          #@@££^:»:,
¨,~%&@####                                          ####@&%~,¨
,.»\$@§¶##                                          ##¶§@$\».,
¨¨¨¨»**£##                                          ##£**»¨¨¨¨