.....,=\%$                                          $%\=,.....
......,=\%                                          %\=,......
.......,=\                                          \=,.......
........,=                                          =,........
.......,=\                                          \=,.......
......,=\%         # ==================== #         %\=,......
.....,=\%$         \ 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,                   ##@££*\=,,
¨,,»**%§£#                                          #£§%**»,,¨
,¨.,~;$$@£  now the reach of the pool has widened.  £@$$;~,.¨,
¨.¨¨,~†%$@        now its wolves see further.       @$%†~,¨¨.¨
.¨.,¨.«^†¤                                          ¤†^«.¨,.¨.
,,,.¨.~~\^                                          ^\~~.¨.,,,
,.....,,~:                                          :~,,.....,
,,,,,,¨.:«                                          «:.¨,,,,,,
,,,.¨¨,^=/                                          /=^,¨¨.,,,