,,,,,~~^%#                                          #%^~~,,,,,
,,,,,,~$##                                          ##$~,,,,,,
,~~^$%%%%#                                          #%%%%$^~~,
,~~^^^$$##                                          ##$$^^^~~,
,~~^$%%###                                          ###%%$^~~,
,,,~~~$###         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ###$~~~,,,
,,,~~~$$$#         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         #$$$~~~,,,
,,,,,,,~$#         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         #$~,,,,,,,
,~~^$%####         ^  branched way back   ^         ####%$^~~,
,,,,~$$%##         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ##%$$~,,,,
,,,,,~^%##         ^  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.       #§&§%=~.¨¨
¨¨,,.,,:§#                                          #§:,,.,,¨¨
.-~:*@£@##                                          ##@£@*:~-.
,^-:*¤##@#                                          #@##¤*:-^,
.,,.--;$£@                                          @£$;--.,,.
.,»†^@§£@#                                          #@£§@^†»,.