........:~                                          ~:........
.......:~=                                          =~:.......
......:~=%                                          %=~:......
.....:~=%%                                          %%=~:.....
....:~=%%&                                          &%%=~:....
...:~=%%&¶         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¶&%%=~:...
..:~=%%&¶#         = 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.        #¤§†;»,.,¨
..,~†=@§¶#                                          #¶§@=†~,..
¨,«†=¤£¶##                                          ##¶£¤=†«,¨
¨¨,-^%£&##                                          ##&£%^-,¨¨
¨...~*^%£#                                          #£%^*~...¨
,¨¨¨-~\%¤£                                          £¤%\~-¨¨¨,