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