.-=:=&¶###                                          ###¶&=:=-.
.-=:=$&¶##                                          ##¶&$=:=-.
.-=:=$&&¶#                                          #¶&&$=:=-.
.-=:=$&¶##                                          ##¶&$=:=-.
.....-:=&¶                                          ¶&=:-.....
.-=:=$&¶##         # ==================== #         ##¶&$=:=-.
......==$&         : the wolf pool exists :         &$==......
.....===&¶         : 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.       ##¶&@$\~,¨
¨~~~/:**&@                                          @&**:/~~~¨
.,=:*§£@##                                          ##@£§*:=,.
..==*@£¶##                                          ##¶£@*==..
,,«^§%&@##                                          ##@&%§^«,,
,,¨¨¨-/%@#                                          #@%/-¨¨¨,,