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