......~:%$                                          $%:~......
.....~:%$£                                          £$%:~.....
....~:%$£¶                                          ¶£$%:~....
...~:%$£¶@                                          @¶£$%:~...
..~:%$£¶@#                                          #@¶£$%:~..
.~:%$£¶@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@¶£$%:~.
..~:%$£¶@#         : 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.        §@%†-,,.¨.
¨¨.,,¨»:=%                                          %=:»¨,,.¨¨
¨,,¨,,¨«:%                                          %:«¨,,¨,,¨
¨¨¨,,¨¨.~*                                          *~.¨¨,,¨¨¨
,..,.,,,,-                                          -,,,,.,..,
...,¨.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.¨,...