.~=\===@@@                                          @@@===\=~.
......=\=@                                          @=\=......
...~\=$@@@                                          @@@$=\~...
......~==@                                          @==~......
....=\=$$@                                          @$$=\=....
.~=\=@@###         # ==================== #         ###@@=\=~.
.~=\=$@###         \ the wolf pool exists \         ###@$=\=~.
.~===\\$$@         \ 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.       ###¤£§/»~.
¨,~/%*&%@#                                          #@%&*%/~,¨
,¨..-»»^*£                                          £*^»»-..¨,
¨.,.-\%@@#                                          #@@%\-.,.¨
.:===*£¶##                                          ##¶£*===:.
,¨.,~»:*^&                                          &^*:»~,.¨,