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