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