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