.~»\^@@@@@                                          @@@@@^\»~.
.~»\^@@@@#                                          #@@@@^\»~.
.~»\^@@@##                                          ##@@@^\»~.
.~»\^@@@@@                                          @@@@@^\»~.
.~»\^@@@##                                          ##@@@^\»~.
~»\^@@@@##         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ##@@@@^\»~
.~»\^@@@@#         \ 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=»   £$†»,.¨,..
.~~;=&£@@#   «»being ~ stolen ~~ from ~-~ them. .   #@@£&=;~~.
¨^,~~=%&%#          =~ ,  -~» .  =¨  .=  =          #%&%=~~,^¨
,¨,...~^¤#    -   :.          ,                .    #¤^~...,¨,
¨^«:†§#£@#        ¨      .          ¨      *        #@£#§†:«^¨
¨.,.«-§££#                                          #££§-«.,.¨
....,.»%*£                    .#¨                   £*%».,....
.,=†^%£@#@                                          @#@£%^†=,.
,,===£§###                   and,                   ###§£===,,
..=^%£@###                                          ###@£%^=..
¨.,¨,¨»«§£  now the reach of the pool has widened.  £§«»¨,¨,.¨
.,~:†£@@@#        now its wolves see further.       #@@@£†:~,.
¨¨..,-~%£@                                          @£%~-,..¨¨
¨,»^^*§£##                                          ##£§*^^»,¨
,.=:$¤@£##                                          ##£@¤$:=.,
,.«*%%#¶##                                          ##¶#%%*«.,
,¨¨¨=«§££§                                          §££§«=¨¨¨,