¨^=†^£@###                                          ###@£^†=^¨
¨¨^=†^£@##                                          ##@£^†=^¨¨
¨^=†^£@###                                          ###@£^†=^¨
¨¨^=†^£@##                                          ##@£^†=^¨¨
¨^=†^£@###                                          ###@£^†=^¨
¨¨^=†^£@##         # ==================== #         ##@£^†=^¨¨
¨^=†^£@###         † 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.  ##¶§¤=;»-,
,¨^~^$&&@#       now its wolves see further.        #@&&$^~^¨,
.^=†$@@£##                                          ##£@@$†=^.
¨,.=:^¤§@@                                          @@§¤^:=.,¨
¨.=\=@§@##                                          ##@§@=\=.¨
,.,-^*£#¶@                                          @¶#£*^-,.,
.-~*=£§¶##                                          ##¶§£=*~-.