.-»/=&&###                                          ###&&=/»-.
...-»=&&&#                                          #&&&=»-...
.-»/=&&###                                          ###&&=/»-.
.-»/=&&###                                          ###&&=/»-.
.....-/&&&                                          &&&/-.....
.-»/=&&###         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ###&&=/»-.
.-»/=&&###         / 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.        #@£#%^:~:¨
.,.,,,/%£@                                          @£%/,,,.,.
,¨,,---:$#                                          #$:---,,¨,
,-«;*%&@##                                          ##@&%*;«-,
,~-;%%&&#@                                          @#&&%%;-~,
¨,~†\*$§@@                                          @@§$*\†~,¨