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