.....,«/*¤                                          ¤*/«,.....
....,«/*¤#                                          #¤*/«,....
...,«/*¤#£                                          £#¤*/«,...
..,«/*¤#£#                                          #£#¤*/«,..
.,«/*¤#£##                                          ##£#¤*/«,.
..,«/*¤#£#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #£#¤*/«,..
...,«/*¤#£         / 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.        #@§*^=»-,¨
,.¨:-:^%@£                                          £@%^:-:¨.,
....~~*%$§                                          §$%*~~....
¨,,.,,-\*§                                          §*\-,,.,,¨
,,,,,,-~\*                                          *\~-,,,,,,
,,¨.,,.,~/                                          /~,.,,.¨,,