,.~/*§##@#                                          #@##§*/~.,
,,.~/*§##@                                          @##§*/~.,,
,,,.~/*§##                                          ##§*/~.,,,
,,.~/*§##@                                          @##§*/~.,,
,.~/*§##@#                                          #@##§*/~.,
,,.~/*§##@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @##§*/~.,,
,,,.~/*§##         / 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,                   £¤$*\«,.¨¨
,¨-=^%$§£#                                          #£§$%^=-¨,
.~-;^&&@##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##@&&^;-~.
,,,~:†§§@#       now its wolves see further.        #@§§†:~,,,
..¨.»/%$£¶                                          ¶£$%/».¨..
.,-=:*£#£#                                          #£#£*:=-,.
,~«^%££@##                                          ##@££%^«~,
¨,:»^^§#@#                                          #@#§^^»:,¨
¨¨,,~:%§£@                                          @£§%:~,,¨¨