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