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