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