¨--:†%£@##                                          ##@£%†:--¨
¨--:::†%@#                                          #@%†:::--¨
¨¨¨¨-††%@@                                          @@%††-¨¨¨¨
¨--:†%£@##                                          ##@£%†:--¨
¨--:†%££@@                                          @@££%†:--¨
¨--:†%£###         # -------------------- #         ###£%†:--¨
¨¨¨¨--††££         : 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.       ¤*^%~-~,,,
,:=\%§¶###                                          ###¶§%\=:,
.~~^=&#@##                                          ##@#&=^~~.
.:=^*$@###                                          ###@$*^=:.
¨.~::†£¤@£                                          £@¤£†::~.¨
..,,..,;§¤                                          ¤§;,..,,..