,,~*$£@@##                                          ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##                                          ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##                                          ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##         * the wolf pool exists *         ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@#         * in a stale timeline, *         #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##         *  branched way back   *         ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@#         *  when kirugu vargir  *         #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##         *  was almost barren,  *         ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@# comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##  and plants were only starting to grow,  ##@@£$*~,,
,,,~*$£@@#         *        at all...     *         #@@£$*~,,,
,,~*$£@@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@@£$*~,,
,¨^»/†$£##                                          ##£$†/»^¨,
¨.~†*$@@##     misplaced explorers traverse the     ##@@$*†~.¨
,¨,«=§¤£@#   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,                   ##@£%$=~^,
..:~^†$@@#                                          #@@$†^~:..
,:»^*%@###  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ###@%*^»:,
..-~=†*###        now its wolves see further.       ###*†=~-..
¨^~:†&@###                                          ###@&†:~^¨
,,,«^%*###                                          ###*%^«,,,
¨:=\*£#@##                                          ##@#£*\=:¨
¨¨,-:$*###                                          ###*$:-,¨¨
.,~^§%#@##                                          ##@#%§^~,.