.-~=%§§###                                          ###§§%=~-.
..-~=%§§##                                          ##§§%=~-..
...-~=%§§#                                          #§§%=~-...
..-~=%§§##                                          ##§§%=~-..
.-~=%§§###                                          ###§§%=~-.
..-~=%§§##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##§§%=~-..
...-~=%§§#         = 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.  ###@&%;=,,
,,.«†$$§@#       now its wolves see further.        #@§$$†«.,,
,,¨,«=†§&#                                          #&§†=«,¨,,
,.~~\%$¤@#                                          #@¤$%\~~.,
¨--\†£&@##                                          ##@&£†\--¨
,.-~:$*@@#                                          #@@*$:~-.,
,,¨^»\§$&#                                          #&$§\»^¨,,