.-«:§$¶@##                                          ##@¶$§:«-.
..-«:§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§:«-..
...-«:§$¶@                                          @¶$§:«-...
....-«:§$¶                                          ¶$§:«-....
.....-«:§$                                          $§:«-.....
......-«:§         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         §:«-......
.....-«:§$         : 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.       #@#£%;«^,.
.,~†^£@###                                          ###@£^†~,.
.¨^~:§$###                                          ###$§:~^¨.
..,,~^*$##                                          ##$*^~,,..
..,.,~^†*#                                          #*†^~,.,..
,¨.¨,.-:*£                                          £*:-.,¨.¨,