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