.-~†*%#@##                                          ##@#%*†~-.
.....-†*##                                          ##*†-.....
.-~†*%#@##                                          ##@#%*†~-.
.-~†*%%#@@                                          @@#%%*†~-.
.-~†*%#@##                                          ##@#%*†~-.
......~*%#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #%*~......
.....~†*%@         † 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.       ¤@£†=:¨,.¨
¨~=:*¤££@#                                          #@££¤*:=~¨
,,¨,~,«:^&                                          &^:«,~,¨,,
¨,=†%@§###                                          ###§@%†=,¨
¨~.»~»«=§@                                          @§=«»~».~¨
,..,¨.,~*£                                          £*~,.¨,..,