,:~/*%¤@##                                          ##@¤%*/~:,
,:~/***%¤#                                          #¤%***/~:,
,:~/*%¤@##                                          ##@¤%*/~:,
,,,,,~//*¤                                          ¤*//~,,,,,
,:~/*%¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤%*/~:,
,:~/*%¤@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@¤%*/~:,
,:~/*%¤@##         / 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.       #@#£*%^=-¨
....,«==##                                          ##==«,....
,¨,,^»«**¤                                          ¤**«»^,,¨,
,..«***%¤#                                          #¤%***«..,
..~~/†;&&#                                          #&&;†/~~..
¨,-:*%§@##                                          ##@§%*:-,¨