,,,,^-;$££                                          ££$;-^,,,,
,^-;$$&£##                                          ##£&$$;-^,
,^-;$$&@##                                          ##@&$$;-^,
,^-;$$&£@#                                          #@£&$$;-^,
,^-;$&£@##                                          ##@£&$;-^,
,^-;$$$&££         # -------------------- #         ££&$$$;-^,
,,,,,,^;$&         ; the wolf pool exists ;         &$;^,,,,,,
,^-;$$&&£@         ; in a stale timeline, ;         @£&&$$;-^,
,^^-;;$&&@         ;  branched way back   ;         @&&$;;-^^,
,,,^-$$$$£         ;  when kirugu vargir  ;         £$$$$-^,,,
,,^-;;$$$&         ;  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.  £§^~.,¨.¨,
,,-\%$££@#        now its wolves see further.       #@££$%\-,,
.¨,¨¨.:*£#                                          #£*:.¨¨,¨.
.-==%¤#¶##                                          ##¶#¤%==-.
.:=†^£&¶##                                          ##¶&£^†=:.
..~=*¤&@&§                                          §&@&¤*=~..
,~~:^§@@##                                          ##@@§^:~~,