:~-.......                                          .......-~:
*:~-......                                          ......-~:*
%*:~-.....                                          .....-~:*%
@%*:~-....                                          ....-~:*%@
@@%*:~-...                                          ...-~:*%@@
#@@%*:~-..         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..-~:*%@@#
##@@%*:~-.         : 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.        ,.¨....,,~
^-,,¨.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.¨,,-^
†;~~,,..,¨                                          ¨,..,,~~;†
&†^»~.¨..,                                          ,..¨.~»^†&
¶¤*\~.,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.~\*¤¶
#£¤^*-,,..                                          ..,,-*^¤£#