,,,,,,~%§§                                          §§%~,,,,,,
,.~////%%@                                          @%%////~.,
,.~/%%@###                                          ###@%%/~.,
,.~/%%%§§#                                          #§§%%%/~.,
,.~/%%§###                                          ###§%%/~.,
,.~/%%§@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@§%%/~.,
,,,,~//%%@         / 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.        ##@££§†:»-
¨,«^^¤£@##                                          ##@£¤^^«,¨
.:~\%#£###                                          ###£#%\~:.
,,~:§££###                                          ###££§:~,,
.,..,-=*¤@                                          @¤*=-,..,.
,..¨.,»:$£                                          £$:»,.¨..,