.,»\%@&###                                          ###&@%\»,.
....»\@@@&                                          &@@@\»....
...,\%@@&#                                          #&@@%\,...
....,,»%@#                                          #@%»,,....
....,»%&&#                                          #&&%»,....
.,»\%@&###         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ###&@%\»,.
.,»\%@&###         \ 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.  @¤¤†^%*-..
.:~=^$§###        now its wolves see further.       ###§$^=~:.
.¨,¨,-~§@&                                          &@§~-,¨,¨.
.-=†*%####                                          ####%*†=-.
.~=*§$&###                                          ###&$§*=~.
,¨..,~;/%§                                          §%/;~,..¨,
,:~:^&§###                                          ###§&^:~:,