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