...^^*$£@@                                          @@£$*^^...
.^=*$£@@@@                                          @@@@£$*=^.
.^=*$£@@@#                                          #@@@£$*=^.
.....^*$@@                                          @@$*^.....
.^====$£@@                                          @@£$====^.
.^=*£@@@##         # ==================== #         ##@@@£*=^.
......=$£@         * the wolf pool exists *         @£$=......
.^=*$£@@@#         * in a stale timeline, *         #@@@£$*=^.
.^=*$£@@@#         *  branched way back   *         #@@@£$*=^.
.^=*$£@@@#         *  when kirugu vargir  *         #@@@£$*=^.
.....^*$£@         *  was almost barren,  *         @£$*^.....
.^=*$$£££@ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  @£££$$*=^.
...^***££@  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.       ##@¤%%\»:,
.,,,-*†$*¤                                          ¤*$†*-,,,.
¨:«/*%¤¤##                                          ##¤¤%*/«:¨
.~=*$@@¶##                                          ##¶@@$*=~.
..~\§&@@@#                                          #@@@&§\~..
,,»^^%@@##                                          ##@@%^^»,,