..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,=                                          =,........
.......,=:                                          :=,.......
......,=:†                                          †:=,......
.....,=:†$         # ==================== #         $†:=,.....
....,=:†$&         : 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,                   @¤$=~^.¨.¨
¨¨¨:~/%§#¶                                          ¶#§%/~:¨¨¨
..~=*%§£@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@£§%*=~..
,,=:†&£###        now its wolves see further.       ###£&†:=,,
.¨^~;%%§##                                          ##§%%;~^¨.
¨,.:~=$£¤@                                          @¤£$=~:.,¨
¨¨.¨.«;$*&                                          &*$;«.¨.¨¨
,,..,,-=^@                                          @^=-,,..,,
.,¨,¨¨,-\*                                          *\-,¨¨,¨,.