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