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