,,,,,--%&&                                          &&%--,,,,,
,,,,--%&@@                                          @@&%--,,,,
,--;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;--,
,--;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;--,
,--;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;--,
,--;$&@###         # -------------------- #         ###@&$;--,
,,,,,-;%$@         ; the wolf pool exists ;         @$%;-,,,,,
,,,,,-;$&#         ; in a stale timeline, ;         #&$;-,,,,,
,---;;%&&@         ;  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$knowledge^~   #£¤@£=;»:.
,~»/§*§%&£   =»being « stolen -= from «-= them. ¨   £&%§*§/»~,
,,,...»%§#          «- .  -~~ .  »,  --  »          #§%»...,,,
.,»\=$&@##    ,   .,          .                ¨    ##@&$=\»,.
¨.,^~=§@&¤        .      ,          ,      §        ¤&@§=~^,.¨
.,-«†*£¤£@                                          @£¤£*†«-,.
.¨¨,.¨»†#@                    ¨#¨                   @#†»¨.,¨¨.
,,«*$§£###                                          ###£§$*«,,
¨.,,-,††¤@                   and,                   @¤††,-,,.¨
,,¨,,=/$&¤                                          ¤&$/=,,¨,,
,,-\^&£&£#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #£&£&^\-,,
¨,..=~\§&£        now its wolves see further.       £&§\~=..,¨
,:=^%§#@##                                          ##@#§%^=:,
¨-»*%@&###                                          ###&@%*»-¨
,...,-==$@                                          @$==-,...,
¨,,»†:†%=@                                          @=%†:†»,,¨
,¨,¨^~^†§@                                          @§†^~^¨,¨,