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