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