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