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