.,~*†&@@##                                          ##@@&†*~,.
...,,**†&@                                          @&†**,,...
.,~*†&@@@#                                          #@@@&†*~,.
.,~*†&@###                                          ###@&†*~,.
.,~*†&@###                                          ###@&†*~,.
......~~†@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @†~~......
.,~*†&@@@@         * 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.       ££¤#*§*~~,
.,.¨.«;$£@                                          @£$;«.¨.,.
¨:~^*&¶###                                          ###¶&*^~:¨
,.¨.¨:«*£¤                                          ¤£*«:¨.¨.,
.¨.,,†*%¶@                                          @¶%*†,,.¨.
¨¨,-~»%###                                          ###%»~-,¨¨