.,-†*$&###                                          ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&##                                          ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###                                          ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&##                                          ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###                                          ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&##         # -------------------- #         ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###         † the wolf pool exists †         ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&##         † in a stale timeline, †         ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###         †  branched way back   †         ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&##         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###         †  was almost barren,  †         ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&## comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###  and plants were only starting to grow,  ###&$*†-,.
..,-†*$&##         †        at all...     †         ##&$*†-,..
.,-†*$&###         # -------------------- #         ###&$*†-,.
.,-~^*$@@#                                          #@@$*^~-,.
.~~;*@§###     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.        #£#¤†/-.,.
,,«\*%§###                                          ###§%*\«,,
,,^=^§*§##                                          ##§*§^=^,,
¨,-/†%&###                                          ###&%†/-,¨
.¨-=^%£&£@                                          @£&£%^=-¨.
¨.==%£§@@#                                          #@@§£%==.¨