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