,,~=$%&£@#                                          #@£&%$=~,,
,,,~=$%&£@                                          @£&%$=~,,,
,,,,~=$%&£                                          £&%$=~,,,,
,,,~=$%&£@                                          @£&%$=~,,,
,,~=$%&£@#                                          #@£&%$=~,,
,,,~=$%&£@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @£&%$=~,,,
,,,,~=$%&£         = the wolf pool exists =         £&%$=~,,,,
,,,~=$%&£@         = in a stale timeline, =         @£&%$=~,,,
,,~=$%&£@#         =  branched way back   =         #@£&%$=~,,
,,,~=$%&£@         =  when kirugu vargir  =         @£&%$=~,,,
,,,,~=$%&£         =  was almost barren,  =         £&%$=~,,,,
,,,~=$%&£@  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, @£&%$=~,,,
,,~=$%&£@#  and plants were only starting to grow,  #@£&%$=~,,
,,,~=$%&£@         =        at all...     =         @£&%$=~,,,
,,,,~=$%&£         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         £&%$=~,,,,
¨¨,=**£@##                                          ##@£**=,¨¨
¨.-:†$#@##     misplaced explorers traverse the     ##@#$†:-.¨
.,,~†*$@##   landscape, searching for a way back,   ##@$*†~,,.
,,¨,~\%%§#  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.        #@¤$*\-^¨.
¨¨,:«:=§#¶                                          ¶#§=:«:,¨¨
,¨.-;†*£@#                                          #@£*†;-.¨,
,-»^**§###                                          ###§**^»-,
.¨--^**¤£#                                          #£¤**^--¨.
.,,~~;§¤§@                                          @§¤§;~~,,.