,,-«***&&@                                          @&&***«-,,
,,,,««*&&@                                          @&&*««,,,,
,,,-«««=&@                                          @&=«««-,,,
,,,,,«==&@                                          @&==«,,,,,
,-«*=&&@@#                                          #@@&&=*«-,
,-«*=&&@@@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @@@&&=*«-,
,-«*&&@@##         * 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^~   ££§:††~¨..
.:~;$£&#¶£   ~~being » stolen »- from -== them. ¨   £¶#&£$;~:.
.~«/^%##@#          -= ,  --» ,  -.  ~=  =          #@##%^/«~.
,....,=^&#    ,   ,~          .                ¨    #&^=,....,
¨^«:%£#@##        ,      .          ,      *        ##@#£%:«^¨
,,»;%£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£%;»,,
¨^~\§$£#@#                   ¨#,                    #@#£$§\~^¨
¨.~^†@§¶##                                          ##¶§@†^~.¨
¨,,«†:^$§#                   and,                   #§$^:†«,,¨
,¨.-^*@¤&@                                          @&¤@*^-.¨,
¨,»:%$#£##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##£#$%:»,¨
..,,,:~%$@        now its wolves see further.       @$%~:,,,..
.:-:$@####                                          ####@$:-:.
,,-*^§####                                          ####§^*-,,
¨,~^†$&£##                                          ##£&$†^~,¨
.^~:/;*$¤@                                          @¤$*;/:~^.
¨,«:=@@£##                                          ##£@@=:«,¨