......:;¤@                                          @¤;:......
.:-;§¤@###                                          ###@¤§;-:.
.....:;§@#                                          #@§;:.....
.:-;§¤@###                                          ###@¤§;-:.
.:-;§¤@###                                          ###@¤§;-:.
....:;§¤¤#         # -------------------- #         #¤¤§;:....
.....:;;¤#         ; 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,                   #¶£**==-,¨
.-»*%&§£¤#                                          #¤£§&%*»-.
¨-=^%$%@&#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #&@%$%^=-¨
.,-.~~†;$@        now its wolves see further.       @$;†~~.-,.
,-=/$%§@#@                                          @#@§%$/=-,
¨:«\*§¤#@#                                          #@#¤§*\«:¨
,,,.«:%@¤@                                          @¤@%:«.,,,
,^~=§**&£@                                          @£&**§=~^,
,,»«;^*%$£                                          £$%*^;«»,,