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