^^~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~^^
&^^~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~^^&
&&^^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^^&&
@&&^^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^^&&@
#@&&^^~,,,                                          ,,,~^^&&@#
##@&&^^~,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,~^^&&@##
#@&&^^~,,,         ^ 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.        ,.,,,~~=*¤
=:~,.,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,.,~:=
;«-,,,..¨.                                          .¨..,,,-«;
~-¨¨.,,..¨                                          ¨..,,.¨¨-~
,¨..¨..,..                                          ..,..¨..¨,
¨¨¨,.¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨.,¨¨¨