......,»:†                                          †:»,......
.......,»:                                          :»,.......
........,»                                          »,........
.........,                                          ,.........
..........                                          ..........
.........,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,.........
........,»         : 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.        @¶@§†=-¨,.
¨¨,¨~»\†@#                                          #@†\»~¨,¨¨
.¨.¨,,~/%@                                          @%/~,,¨.¨.
,¨..,,-~^*                                          *^~-,,..¨,
.¨¨.¨¨.--;                                          ;--.¨¨.¨¨.
,.....¨,,~                                          ~,,¨.....,