¨¨^=:§@###                                          ###@§:=^¨¨
¨^=:§@####                                          ####@§:=^¨
¨¨^=:§@###                                          ###@§:=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=:§@##                                          ##@§:=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=:§@###                                          ###@§:=^¨¨
¨^=:§@####         # ==================== #         ####@§:=^¨
¨¨^=:§@###         : 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. .   ##¤$\~-¨,,
..,«=*¤###          «« ¨  ~=~ .  ~¨  ,«  =          ###¤*=«,..
¨:~;*&£###    -   ,~          .                ¨    ###£&*;~:¨
,¨~»:**¤##        .      .          .      ^        ##¤**:»~¨,
,.¨:-/§£#@                                          @#£§/-:¨.,
,,~~†%@&##                   ,#.                    ##&@%†~~,,
¨.»\=@@###                                          ###@@=\».¨
.¨~~;§&£##                   and,                   ##£&§;~~¨.
.¨,~~/=¤£@                                          @£¤=/~~,¨.
,,,=\$§&@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@&§$\=,,,
,:=;$$£###        now its wolves see further.       ###£$$;=:,
¨¨^~/%$@@#                                          #@@$%/~^¨¨
¨,.~-††%&#                                          #&%††-~.,¨
.,.«^§%§##                                          ##§%§^«.,.
¨:«*%@@###                                          ###@@%*«:¨
¨,^»^†£¤##                                          ##¤£†^»^,¨