,-=*%@@###                                          ###@@%*=-,
,-=*%@@###                                          ###@@%*=-,
,,---=%%@@                                          @@%%=---,,
,-=*%@@###                                          ###@@%*=-,
,-=*%@@###                                          ###@@%*=-,
,-=*%@@@@#         # ==================== #         #@@@@%*=-,
,-=*%@@###         * 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,%# ¤$=-.,.,¨.
¨.,¨.¨,=§#  #¤of#the£way#home#£to#the£time£from@¶   #§=,¨.¨,.¨
.^-:%%#£@#  #¶where#they#came,@######and#then####   #@£#%%:-^.
,,.,.~::%@   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge=~   @%::~.,.,,
¨,»:^£§¶¶#   »«being ~ stolen »~ from --= them. ¨   #¶¶§£^:»,¨
,.«=**&£##          »~ ¨  ==~ ,  -.  ^=  ~          ##£&**=«.,
.~==*§§¶##    :   :,          ,                .    ##¶§§*==~.
¨,»;^&¤#@#        ¨      ¨          ,      †        #@#¤&^;»,¨
.-=/%%§%#¤                                          ¤#%§%%/=-.
¨¨,,^~*£@&                    ¨#¨                   &@£*~^,,¨¨
,.¨¨~=*&¤#                                          #¤&*=~¨¨.,
¨,»;†&@¶@#                   and,                   #@¶@&†;»,¨
,,¨¨,/^@*#                                          #*@^/,¨¨,,
.^«/=£§#@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@#§£=/«^.
,-=:%*@£##       now its wolves see further.        ##£@*%:=-,
,~=/§*$¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤$*§/=~,
¨,~=†@#@##                                          ##@#@†=~,¨
,,=\%*£@##                                          ##@£*%\=,,
,,=\§$&#@#                                          #@#&$§\=,,
,^»;*$#£##                                          ##£#$*;»^,