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