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