.,~=%%&###                                          ###&%%=~,.
..,~=%%&##                                          ##&%%=~,..
.,~=%%&###                                          ###&%%=~,.
..,~=%%&##                                          ##&%%=~,..
.,~=%%&###                                          ###&%%=~,.
..,~=%%&##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##&%%=~,..
.,~=%%&###         = 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. ¨   ##§¤^;-,,¨
¨,~*^$&@##          == .  =~~ ,  «,  ,=  =          ##@&$^*~,¨
.,.~**$§£#    -   .,          ,                .    #£§$**~.,.
.,-;=$&£##        ¨      ,          ,      ^        ##£&$=;-,.
¨¨~~*§%¤##                                          ##¤%§*~~¨¨
,.«/*$££##                   ¨#¨                    ##££$*/«.,
¨¨,=:*&@##                                          ##@&*:=,¨¨
.-~^†$§###                   and,                   ###§$†^~-.
¨,:-\§$###                                          ###$§\-:,¨
¨~~*§$§###  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ###§$§*~~¨
¨,~»;*$§¶#        now its wolves see further.       #¶§$*;»~,¨
,.»:^%££##                                          ##££%^:».,
¨..«=^§&¶#                                          #¶&§^=«..¨
¨,~/†§¤@##                                          ##@¤§†/~,¨
.,:=*§$@##                                          ##@$§*=:,.
.^~*=£¤@##                                          ##@¤£=*~^.