...^=†**%#                                          #%**†=^...
.^=†*%#@##                                          ##@#%*†=^.
.^=†*%§#@#                                          #@#§%*†=^.
.....==*§@                                          @§*==.....
.....^†**§                                          §**†^.....
.^=†*%§#@#         # ==================== #         #@#§%*†=^.
.^=†*%§#@#         † 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.  ££¤$%†;~^,
¨.»;^%@£##       now its wolves see further.        ##£@%^;».¨
,,»†*¤#@@#                                          #@@#¤*†»,,
,.=\$¤#@##                                          ##@#¤$\=.,
,:-^$%####                                          ####%$^-:,
¨~«**&£¶@#                                          #@¶£&**«~¨
.,.,¨¨-=%#                                          #%=-¨¨,.,.