,:«/†@¤@##                                          ##@¤@†/«:,
,,,,««/@¤¤                                          ¤¤@/««,,,,
,,,,,::/†¤                                          ¤†/::,,,,,
,,,,,:/††¤                                          ¤††/:,,,,,
,:«/†@¤@##                                          ##@¤@†/«:,
,,,:«†@¤¤@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @¤¤@†«:,,,
,:«/†@¤@##         / 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.  ####$*†=:¨
.~-=^%&###        now its wolves see further.       ###&%^=-~.
,~«:$§####                                          ####§$:«~,
¨^«^%£££@#                                          #@£££%^«^¨
¨,=^*$#@@#                                          #@@#$*^=,¨
¨,-^^-;$££                                          ££$;-^^-,¨
¨~~†*£§£§@                                          @§£§£*†~~¨