@@@@%$:~,.                                          .,~:$%@@@@
@@@%:~....                                          ....~:%@@@
#@@@%$:~,.                                          .,~:$%@@@#
@@@@%$:~,.                                          .,~:$%@@@@
@@@$~,....                                          ....,~$@@@
#@@@%$:~,.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .,~:$%@@@#
@@$$$~~~,.         : the wolf pool exists :         .,~~~$$$@@
@@$$:~,...         : in a stale timeline, :         ...,~:$$@@
#@@@%$:~,.         :  branched way back   :         .,~:$%@@@#
@@%$~.....         :  when kirugu vargir  :         .....~$%@@
@@@@%$:~,.         :  was almost barren,  :         .,~:$%@@@@
#@@@%$:~,. comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  .,~:$%@@@#
@$~~......  and plants were only starting to grow,  ......~~$@
##@@%$:~,.         :        at all...     :         .,~:$%@@##
#@@@%$:~,.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .,~:$%@@@#
##¶&$=;«.,                                          ,.«;=$&¶##
¶@¤%-~--^¨     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.       .,.,¨¨«%%&
###¤£%*~^,                                          ,^~*%£¤###
@£*«-..,,¨                                          ¨,,..-«*£@
###££$\=:¨                                          ¨:=\$££###
##¶@§%\=^,                                          ,^=\%§@¶##
##@§¤$/~~.                                          .~~/$¤§@##