,^=**$@@##                                          ##@@$**=^,
,^=**$@@@#                                          #@@@$**=^,
,^=***$$$@                                          @$$$***=^,
^=**$@@@##                                          ##@@@$**=^
,^=**$@@@@                                          @@@@$**=^,
,,,,^*$$@@         # ==================== #         @@$$*^,,,,
,^=**$@@@@         * the wolf pool exists *         @@@@$**=^,
,,,^^^*$@@         * in a stale timeline, *         @@$*^^^,,,
,^=**$@@@#         *  branched way back   *         #@@@$**=^,
,,,^^=*@@@         *  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.        #£@/«,...¨
¨,¨»^*^$#@                                          @#$^*^»¨,¨
,¨,^;\%%*#                                          #*%%\;^,¨,
,¨,,¨^«%%&                                          &%%«^¨,,¨,
.:«/*&@@##                                          ##@@&*/«:.
,^=^*@&@@#                                          #@@&@*^=^,