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