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