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