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