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