,,~;^%@###                                          ###@%^;~,,
,,,~;^%@##                                          ##@%^;~,,,
,,,,~;^%@#                                          #@%^;~,,,,
,,,,,~;^%@                                          @%^;~,,,,,
,,,,~;^%@#                                          #@%^;~,,,,
,,,~;^%@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@%^;~,,,
,,~;^%@###         ; 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,                   ###@£$\-^.
.,.«:†£@##                                          ##@£†:«.,.
¨,,,»†^¤##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##¤^†»,,,¨
,...,-††£@       now its wolves see further.        @£††-,...,
¨¨,--;=*@#                                          #@*=;--,¨¨
.,-~\$%#@#                                          #@#%$\~-,.
.~»==%####                                          ####%==»~.
..-~:$@£##                                          ##£@$:~-..
..¨.~;$£##                                          ##£$;~.¨..