.....~=†%¤                                          ¤%†=~.....
....~=†%¤§                                          §¤%†=~....
...~=†%¤§#                                          #§¤%†=~...
..~=†%¤§##                                          ##§¤%†=~..
.~=†%¤§###                                          ###§¤%†=~.
..~=†%¤§##         # ==================== #         ##§¤%†=~..
...~=†%¤§#         † 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$$awareness#     ^--,,,¨..¨
,...¨¨:«=† #%of£#exactly£#how§they@had¤traveled,&#  †=«:¨¨...,
.,¨,,-~*%£   #@of¤the£way@home@@to@the#time@from##  £%*~-,,¨,.
,¨,.:-=†£§  #¶where#they#came,@##@###and#then@#@#   §£†=-:.,¨,
¨.,^=;%£¤@   #####the#feeling#of#this$knowledge\~   @¤£%;=^,.¨
.,-~;$¤£@@   «-being = stolen ~- from »=- them. .   @@£¤$;~-,.
¨~»/%%##@#          -~ ¨  -=~ .  -¨  -~  ~          #@##%%/»~¨
..,»*$&§£#    ,   ~:          :                .    #£§&$*»,..
...,~;^§@£        ,      ,          ,      %        £@§^;~,...
,,¨,^«/†@#                                          #@†/«^,¨,,
¨¨,,¨,»/*%                   .#,                    %*/»,¨,,¨¨
¨¨.¨...»†*                                          *†»...¨.¨¨
...,.,,.«=                   and,                   =«.,,.,...
,.¨.¨.,¨.~                                          ~.¨,.¨.¨.,
,¨¨,.¨.,~*  now the reach of the pool has widened.  *~,.¨.,¨¨,
¨,,,..,~^%       now its wolves see further.        %^~,..,,,¨
.,,,.^~†*¤                                          ¤*†~^.,,,.
,..¨~~:^$¤                                          ¤$^:~~¨..,
,.¨~~^*$¤@                                          @¤$*^~~¨.,
,.^«=*%&£#                                          #£&%*=«^.,
¨-»*$$##@#                                          #@##$$*»-¨