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