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