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