......,==†                                          †==,......
.......,==                                          ==,.......
........,=                                          =,........
.........,                                          ,.........
..........                                          ..........
.........,         # ==================== #         ,.........
........,=         = 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.  ###&^\~:¨.
¨,.^»:$#@#       now its wolves see further.        #@#$:»^.,¨
,.¨,-«:%¤¶                                          ¶¤%:«-,¨.,
,,¨¨¨,-**@                                          @**-,¨¨¨,,
¨,,...,~:§                                          §:~,...,,¨
¨,,..,¨^=;                                          ;=^¨,..,,¨
¨,¨¨¨.¨.,~                                          ~,.¨.¨¨¨,¨