,,,-~*†###                                          ###†*~-,,,
,,-~*†####                                          ####†*~-,,
,-~*†#####                                          #####†*~-,
,,-~*†####                                          ####†*~-,,
,,,-~*†###                                          ###†*~-,,,
,,,,-~*†##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##†*~-,,,,
,,,,,-~*†#         * 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.       ¶§§†~.¨¨¨,
.¨.:=\=#@#                                          #@#=\=:.¨.
,¨:-/%##@#                                          #@##%/-:¨,
¨-«/%@####                                          ####@%/«-¨
¨¨,~*=¤@##                                          ##@¤=*~,¨¨
¨.¨:~=†¤@@                                          @@¤†=~:¨.¨