,,,,~=^%£#                                          #£%^=~,,,,
,,,~=^%£##                                          ##£%^=~,,,
,,~=^%£###                                          ###£%^=~,,
,~=^%£####                                          ####£%^=~,
,,~=^%£###                                          ###£%^=~,,
,,,~=^%£##         # ==================== #         ##£%^=~,,,
,,,,~=^%£#         ^ 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,$their%thirst%flaring%   #@#*^~:.¨,
,....~†§£#     *§†bright^-§£a£sudden%%awareness#    #£§†~....,
,,¨¨,:~==@ #%of%@exactly¤#how@they¤had@traveled,§#  @==~:,¨¨,,
¨¨...»=^@#  ##of§the£way@home##to£the@time¶from#@   #@^=»...¨¨
¨,.,«/§&¶#   #@where#they#came,@@#####and@then####  #¶&§/«,.,¨
,,~~\^£@##   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge:«   ##@£^\~~,,
.-=;§¤####   =~being = stolen =» from ~=~ them. .   ####¤§;=-.
¨.^»=%¤¶@#          »= .  ~«- ¨  «.  -~  ~          #@¶¤%=»^.¨
..¨^«\%§##    ^   ,,          ~                ,    ##§%\«^¨..
¨..¨~~/%#@        ,      ¨          ¨      †        @#%/~~¨..¨
.¨.,.^«\=&                                          &=\«^.,.¨.
¨.¨.~-*=##                   ¨#.                    ##=*-~.¨.¨
¨..:~*†@##                                          ##@†*~:..¨
¨¨-«\†§###                   and,                   ###§†\«-¨¨
.~~\§¤£@##                                          ##@£¤§\~~.
,¨~-/%§£@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@£§%/-~¨,
,¨..~==@@@       now its wolves see further.        @@@==~..¨,
,,.¨.«/†¤£                                          £¤†/«.¨.,,
..¨,¨,=:$#                                          #$:=,¨,¨..
,,.,^=:†&#                                          #&†:=^,.,,
¨,¨,»^†§@#                                          #@§†^»,¨,¨
¨¨^~;§@#@#                                          #@#@§;~^¨¨