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