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