,-~/§%####                                          ####%§/~-,
,,,,~§%###                                          ###%§~,,,,
,--~/§%%##                                          ##%%§/~--,
,,,,,~/%##                                          ##%/~,,,,,
,-~/§%####                                          ####%§/~-,
,-~/§%####         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ####%§/~-,
,,,--//§##         / 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.        #¶@¤¤^;=^.
,,.,,-=%&#                                          #&%=-,,.,,
¨^~*§¤&#@#                                          #@#&¤§*~^¨
,,,¨.«;&@#                                          #@&;«.¨,,,
,--;=@#@##                                          ##@#@=;--,
,,.,~«\^@£                                          £@^\«~,.,,