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