......~~†^                                          ^†~~......
.....~~†^&                                          &^†~~.....
....~~†^&#                                          #&^†~~....
...~~†^&#@                                          @#&^†~~...
..~~†^&#@#                                          #@#&^†~~..
.~~†^&#@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@#&^†~~.
..~~†^&#@#         † 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$¤exactly@£how¤they§had#traveled,§# :«:,.¨¨.¨¨
¨.¨¨,,,»*^   #§of@the¶way@home¶@to#the#time#from£#  ^*»,,,¨¨.¨
¨,¨..,~:†&   #¶where#they#came,@##@@@#and@then####  &†:~,..¨,¨
,..,,«:%&£   #####the#feeling#of#this§knowledge^«   £&%:«,,..,
.,.^~†*§#@   «=being ~ stolen ~~ from ~-~ them. .   @#§*†~^.,.
,.,»*%@@@#          =« ¨  -~~ .  -¨  :=  »          #@@@%*»,.,
.:«\%&¶###    .   ,-          ~                ,    ###¶&%\«:.
,.,=*%@£##        .      .          .      ^        ##£@%*=,.,
¨¨¨,=*%£##                                          ##£%*=,¨¨¨
¨.,.:=*%@¶                   ,#,                    ¶@%*=:.,.¨
,,.,¨:-*=&                                          &=*-:¨,.,,
¨,,.¨¨,~:%                   and,                   %:~,¨¨.,,¨
,¨¨¨¨..,«:                                          :«,..¨¨¨¨,
.,.,...¨~»  now the reach of the pool has widened.  »~¨...,.,.
...,.¨,-»;        now its wolves see further.       ;»-,¨.,...
.¨,,.¨.»;=                                          =;».¨.,,¨.
,¨¨,.:-†$&                                          &$†-:.,¨¨,
.¨¨.~~†§&@                                          @&§†~~.¨¨.
...^~:*£¶#                                          #¶£*:~^...
.¨,»\^&@##                                          ##@&^\»,¨.