.....«=£##                                          ##£=«.....
....«««†£§                                          §£†«««....
...«=††£##                                          ##£††=«...
..«=†£§###                                          ###§£†=«..
..«=†££§##                                          ##§££†=«..
....«†££§#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #§££†«....
..«=†£§###         = 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.  ###@@@*~~,
,.~;^$&@##        now its wolves see further.       ##@&$^;~.,
.¨,.¨:=§£#                                          #£§=:¨.,¨.
.¨¨,¨~,†§£                                          £§†,~¨,¨¨.
.,~*§$#@##                                          ##@#$§*~,.
,^=;%&#¶##                                          ##¶#&%;=^,
.,~==§&#£@                                          @£#&§==~,.