...~:†$§@@                                          @@§$†:~...
..~:†$§@@#                                          #@@§$†:~..
...~:†$§@@                                          @@§$†:~...
....~:†$§@                                          @§$†:~....
.....~:†$§                                          §$†:~.....
....~:†$§@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @§$†:~....
...~:†$§@@         : the wolf pool exists :         @@§$†:~...
..~:†$§@@#         : in a stale timeline, :         #@@§$†:~..
...~:†$§@@         :  branched way back   :         @@§$†:~...
....~:†$§@         :  when kirugu vargir  :         @§$†:~....
.....~:†$§         :  was almost barren,  :         §$†:~.....
....~:†$§@ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  @§$†:~....
...~:†$§@@  and plants were only starting to grow,  @@§$†:~...
..~:†$§@@#         :        at all...     :         #@@§$†:~..
...~:†$§@@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @@§$†:~...
¨¨.^-^^$¤£                                          £¤$^^-^.¨¨
,,...=^§£@     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.        @@$^†~:.,.
..¨¨:~††%@                                          @%††~:¨¨..
¨,,~»\*@#£                                          £#@*\»~,,¨
,,^=\*$#£@                                          @£#$*\=^,,
..=;*%&£##                                          ##£&%*;=..
¨¨~=†$¤&¶#                                          #¶&¤$†=~¨¨