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