¨.»;%£§@##                                          ##@§£%;».¨
¨.»;%£§@##                                          ##@§£%;».¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»%%§                                          §%%»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨.»;%£§@##                                          ##@§£%;».¨
¨.»;%£§@##                                          ##@§£%;».¨
¨.»;%£§@##         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ##@§£%;».¨
¨¨¨¨¨.;%§@         ; 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.        ##@&£%†-.,
.,-†=@£§£¤                                          ¤£§£@=†-,.
¨:»/^%¤£##                                          ##£¤%^/»:¨
¨^-:§$¤&@#                                          #@&¤$§:-^¨
,¨¨-~~«%£&                                          &£%«~~-¨¨,
,.¨,-=†$@@                                          @@$†=-,¨.,