....«%%$¤#                                          #¤$%%«....
.^«=%$¤###                                          ###¤$%=«^.
.^«=%$¤###                                          ###¤$%=«^.
....^=$¤##                                          ##¤$=^....
.....«%¤##                                          ##¤%«.....
.^«===%¤¤#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #¤¤%===«^.
.......«%¤         = 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.  @*\=,¨.¨.¨
.^~;§$@###        now its wolves see further.       ###@$§;~^.
¨..^~«*&¤§                                          §¤&*«~^..¨
,-=^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^=-,
.,..¨.=†§£                                          £§†=.¨..,.
¨,-:^££¶##                                          ##¶££^:-,¨
.-~^%$#£@#                                          #@£#$%^~-.