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