...,//††¤#                                          #¤††//,...
.,»/†$$$¤#                                          #¤$$$†/»,.
.,»/†$¤###                                          ###¤$†/»,.
.,»/†$¤###                                          ###¤$†/»,.
......,/$#                                          #$/,......
.,»/†$¤###         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ###¤$†/»,.
.,»/†$¤###         / the wolf pool exists /         ###¤$†/»,.
.,»/†$¤###         / in a stale timeline, /         ###¤$†/»,.
.,»»///†$#         /  branched way back   /         #$†///»»,.
.,»/†$¤###         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ###¤$†/»,.
.,»/†$¤###         /  was almost barren,  /         ###¤$†/»,.
.,»/†$¤### comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ###¤$†/»,.
.,»////$$#  and plants were only starting to grow,  #$$////»,.
.....,/$##         /        at all...     /         ##$/,.....
....,,»/$¤         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¤$/»,,....
¨..^»~:§¤#                                          #¤§:~»^..¨
¨,¨^«*$^§£     misplaced explorers traverse the     £§^$*«^¨,¨
,^«;†§#@##   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,                   ##@@$*;»-¨
,~=;=&@###                                          ###@&=;=~,
,^«/*§£@@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@@£§*/«^,
.,~/*%£§@#        now its wolves see further.       #@§£%*/~,.
¨:-^*$&@##                                          ##@&$*^-:¨
,¨.,¨:-†§#                                          #§†-:¨,.¨,
¨:~;*$####                                          ####$*;~:¨
¨.~\$%&¶##                                          ##¶&%$\~.¨
..»;*$§£¶#                                          #¶£§$*;»..