,,,,-;†@@#                                          #@@†;-,,,,
,~-;†††&@@                                          @@&†††;-~,
,~-;†&@###                                          ###@&†;-~,
,~-;†&@@##                                          ##@@&†;-~,
,,,,~;†&@#                                          #@&†;~,,,,
,~-;†&@@##         # -------------------- #         ##@@&†;-~,
,,,~-††&&@         ; 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.        @#$%§;---.
,:==-*$%#£                                          £#%$*-==:,
..~:=£@¶##                                          ##¶@£=:~..
,.¨..:;&@#                                          #@&;:..¨.,
¨¨~~-«*&&&                                          &&&*«-~~¨¨
.,«†%£@###                                          ###@£%†«,.