,~«\=§@£##                                          ##£@§=\«~,
,,~«\=§@£#                                          #£@§=\«~,,
,,,~«\=§@£                                          £@§=\«~,,,
,,,,~«\=§@                                          @§=\«~,,,,
,,,,,~«\=§                                          §=\«~,,,,,
,,,,,,~«\=         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         =\«~,,,,,,
,,,,,~«\=§         \ 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.       #@&£$^-,,¨
.~=;=*&@##                                          ##@&*=;=~.
¨¨:«:*$&##                                          ##&$*:«:¨¨
,,,-=:†%£@                                          @£%†:=-,,,
..,¨~~^†££                                          ££†^~~¨,..
,,¨,,:»**%                                          %**»:,,¨,,