¨,~*%@££##                                          ##££@%*~,¨
¨¨,~*%@££#                                          #££@%*~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~*%@££                                          ££@%*~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~*%@££#                                          #££@%*~,¨¨
¨,~*%@££##                                          ##££@%*~,¨
¨¨,~*%@££#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #££@%*~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~*%@££         * 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.       #@#@^/~.,¨
.,¨~~^*@§¶                                          ¶§@*^~~¨,.
¨¨,=\**&£#                                          #£&**\=,¨¨
.^-\§£§###                                          ###§£§\-^.
,.,~^%¤@##                                          ##@¤%^~,.,
,,,~=\%&@@                                          @@&%\=~,,,