.:-\$*¶###                                          ###¶*$\-:.
......-\$£                                          £$\-......
.:-\$*£###                                          ###£*$\-:.
.:-\$***£#                                          #£***$\-:.
......-\$£                                          £$\-......
...::\$*£¶         # -------------------- #         ¶£*$\::...
..::\\\*£#         \ 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.        ###@§=;--¨
,,»\=%####                                          ####%=\»,,
¨~~.,;%%%¤                                          ¤%%%;,.~~¨
,,,,,»»*§@                                          @§*»»,,,,,
,,~/^*@###                                          ###@*^/~,,
..«==$$%§@                                          @§%$$==«..