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