...^~^^^$@                                          @$^^^~^...
.^~/^$¤###                                          ###¤$^/~^.
.^~/^^^^$¤                                          ¤$^^^^/~^.
.^~/^$¤@##                                          ##@¤$^/~^.
....~/^¤¤@                                          @¤¤^/~....
.^~/^$¤###         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ###¤$^/~^.
.^~/^$¤@##         / the wolf pool exists /         ##@¤$^/~^.
..^~/^$$$¤         / in a stale timeline, /         ¤$$$^/~^..
.^~/^$¤###         /  branched way back   /         ###¤$^/~^.
.^~/^$¤@##         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ##@¤$^/~^.
......~^¤¤         /  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.        @§$†^-,.¨,
.,.,.~^@%#                                          #%@^~.,.,.
,~»\%@@###                                          ###@@%\»~,
,:«:*$$$£#                                          #£$$$*:«:,
,..,.,~^*£                                          £*^~,.,..,
,,«=$$¤###                                          ###¤$$=«,,