,^~:=%£@@#                                          #@@£%=:~^,
,^~:%£@@##                                          ##@@£%:~^,
,^~:=%£@@@                                          @@@£%=:~^,
,^~:=%£@@#                                          #@@£%=:~^,
,,,,^::=£@                                          @£=::^,,,,
,^~:=%£@@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@@£%=:~^,
,^~:===%@@         : 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.       #%^-~,,¨¨,
.--=^£&#@#                                          #@#&£^=--.
¨.~*=£§###                                          ###§£=*~.¨
¨,.¨,,*$§@                                          @§$*,,¨.,¨
,~-;%*=£#@                                          @#£=*%;-~,
.~~:*%&###                                          ###&%*:~~.