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