#@##&%:-~.                                          .~-:%&##@#
@##&%:-~..                                          ..~-:%&##@
##&%:-~...                                          ...~-:%&##
#&%:-~....                                          ....~-:%&#
&%:-~.....                                          .....~-:%&
%:-~......         # -------------------- #         ......~-:%
:-~.......         : 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.        .¨,,.»/%£#
&$;»,..,,.                                          .,,..,»;$&
*/=~¨.,,.,                                          ,.,,.¨~=/*
\~-,,¨¨,,.                                          .,,¨¨,,-~\
~-,,,,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,,,,-~
~,¨.,,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,,.¨,~