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