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