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