*†/~-.....                                          .....-~/†*
†/~-......                                          ......-~/†
*†/~-.....                                          .....-~/†*
¤*†/~-....                                          ....-~/†*¤
@¤*†/~-...                                          ...-~/†*¤@
#@¤*†/~-..         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..-~/†*¤@#
##@¤*†/~-.         / 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.        ,¨¨.,~†§%&
£$^~-,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,-~^$£
%*~^¨¨..¨.                                          .¨..¨¨^~*%
%=†=:.,,,,                                          ,,,,.:=†=%
#*†=~-.,,¨                                          ¨,,.-~=†*#
@&$%;»,.¨,                                          ,¨.,»;%$&@