..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ..........
..........         \ 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.       .~~;=££¶@#
#£@&%:-^,¨                                          ¨,^-:%&@£#
@£§^;=-¨.¨                                          ¨.¨-=;^§£@
@¤%^--,¨.,                                          ,.¨,--^%¤@
£^\~-.¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨.-~\^£
%*=:.¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨.:=*%