..~//%**¤#                                          #¤**%//~..
..~/%*¤###                                          ###¤*%/~..
..~/%*¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤*%/~..
.....~%%¤#                                          #¤%%~.....
....~%%%*¤                                          ¤*%%%~....
.~/%*¤####         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ####¤*%/~.
..~/%*¤###         / 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.  ¤%^~«»«-^,
¨.»†=$§£##        now its wolves see further.       ##£§$=†».¨
¨,~^=£§###                                          ###§£=^~,¨
¨:~;%§§@##                                          ##@§§%;~:¨
,,¨,«:%%^¤                                          ¤^%%:«,¨,,
¨~=**$##¶#                                          #¶##$**=~¨
,...¨-«§£¤                                          ¤£§«-¨...,