.-~^§%#@@@                                          @@@#%§^~-.
.-~^§%#@##                                          ##@#%§^~-.
.-~^§%#@##                                          ##@#%§^~-.
.-~^§%#@##                                          ##@#%§^~-.
.-~^§§%%#@                                          @#%%§§^~-.
..-~~§%%##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##%%§~~-..
.....~§§%#         ^ 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.        ££¤*-~~^,¨
,¨.,,:;^@@                                          @@^;:,,.¨,
¨¨¨.¨,~%#@                                          @#%~,¨.¨¨¨
,,~^†££#¶@                                          @¶#££†^~,,
,,~;§$§@##                                          ##@§$§;~,,
,.,.-^:$§#                                          #§$:^-.,.,