..#.###...                                          #.###.....
....#.##..                                          ..#.##....
......###.                                          ....###...
......#.##                                          ....#.##..
........##                                          ......###.
........#.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ......#.##
#.........         † 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.        ¨,¨.¨¨¨¨#,
#&@¨.¨¨¨.¨                                          ,,,¨¨,.,..
#,£¤,¨¨,,,                                          #..,¨...¨.
¨¨#¤§,.¨,¨                                          &#,,,,.,.¨
¨¨@,£§.¨¨,                                          .£§.¨,¨¨,,
...,#@§¨¨,                                          ,&&£¨,¨...