,,,-:::§£#                                          #£§:::-,,,
,-=:§%£@##                                          ##@£%§:=-,
,-=:§%£###                                          ###£%§:=-,
,-=:§%£@##                                          ##@£%§:=-,
,,,,,,,=§£                                          £§=,,,,,,,
,-=:§%£@##         # ==================== #         ##@£%§:=-,
,-=:§%£@##         : 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.       ####£*^«,,
¨,«:†%@###                                          ###@%†:«,¨
,,-^*§&@##                                          ##@&§*^-,,
,..,¨,«†@#                                          #@†«,¨,..,
¨,-/*£#¶@#                                          #@¶#£*/-,¨
.^»\=§¤#¶@                                          @¶#¤§=\»^.