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