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