.,~/^$@@##                                          ##@@$^/~,.
..,~/^$@@#                                          #@@$^/~,..
...,~/^$@@                                          @@$^/~,...
....,~/^$@                                          @$^/~,....
.....,~/^$                                          $^/~,.....
......,~/^         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ^/~,......
.......,~/         / the wolf pool exists /         /~,.......
........,~         / in a stale timeline, /         ~,........
.........,         /  branched way back   /         ,.........
..........         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ..........
..........         /  was almost barren,  /         ..........
..........  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ..........
..........  and plants were only starting to grow,  ..........
..........         /        at all...     /         ..........
..........         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..........
,.,..,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,..,.,
¨,,.,¨.¨,:     misplaced explorers traverse the     :,¨.¨,.,,¨
¨..¨,,,,:«   landscape, searching for a way back,   «:,,,,¨..¨
..¨,..¨~«;  finding instead only stone and dirt and ;«~¨..,¨..
,¨.¨¨¨,=;^   roots that are as hard as the ground.  ^;=,¨¨¨.¨,
.,¨,¨,«^$¤   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.       #£$%*=,.,.
¨.~~:%$¤##       .      «    ~            ~ ,       ##¤$%:~~.¨
¨^«\^&§@##    and¨then.the.pool,announces.itself    ##@§&^\«^¨
¨¨.-\=*¤@#      to,them,-.sudden,^,thoughts¨of,     #@¤*=\-.¨¨
¨¨¨:~**%§#   .~=dark~wolves-.climbing-out~of.~~»    #§%**~:¨¨¨
..¨.,~†*££    «==the»pool,=surrounding;them*-^^/    ££*†~,.¨..
...,¨^=/§§    ^sudden†thoughts=of~«;climbing*%§     §§/=^¨,...
.,,..,,»:*   into*the/pool,%their§thirst†flaring§   *:»,,..,,.
¨¨¨,¨.¨:»^    %%%bright%-=¤a@sudden&£awareness#     ^»:¨.¨,¨¨¨
,¨.¨,,,¨,- #*of%#exactly#@how@they¤had@traveled,*#  -,¨,,,¨.¨,
¨¨,¨,,.,,:  #&of@the@way£home£¶to#the@time@from¶@   :,,.,,¨,¨¨
,,¨.....¨.  #£where#they#came,#######and#then@###   .¨.....¨,,
¨¨¨,...¨.¨   #####the#feeling#of#this^knowledge†»   ¨.¨...,¨¨¨
.,,¨¨,¨.,,   =~being « stolen »~ from «=~ them. ¨   ,,.¨,¨¨,,.
¨,¨¨¨¨.,¨.          -~ ¨  »-» ,  ~.  ~=  «          .¨,.¨¨¨¨,¨
.¨,,,,.¨.,    ,   ,.          ^                .    ,.¨.,,,,¨.
,,¨¨,.¨.¨.        .      .          .      %        .¨.¨.,¨¨,,
,¨,¨,¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨,¨,¨,
.,¨,¨,,,¨~                    ,#¨                   ~¨,,,¨,¨,.
¨¨¨,,¨.,,-                                          -,,.¨,,¨¨¨
¨,.,,¨..=^                   and,                   ^=..¨,,.,¨
¨,¨.,¨^«;†                                          †;«^¨,.¨,¨
¨,,,,,~†§%  now the reach of the pool has widened.  %§†~,,,,,¨
.,¨,:~^§¤#        now its wolves see further.       #¤§^~:,¨,.
¨¨.,==*§¤@                                          @¤§*==,.¨¨
¨.-«*$@###                                          ###@$*«-.¨
¨,«†*%§###                                          ###§%*†«,¨
..~=:%¤###                                          ###¤%:=~..
.¨¨.~:$$##                                          ##$$:~.¨¨.