.......,»*                                          *»,.......
........,»                                          »,........
.........,                                          ,.........
..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,»         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         »,........
.......,»*         * 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.        #*%=-,,,..
¨¨¨.,-~=%£                                          £%=~-,.¨¨¨
¨¨,¨...~\$                                          $\~...¨,¨¨
..¨,.¨,:~:                                          :~:,¨.,¨..
¨,.,,.¨,,«                                          «,,¨.,,.,¨
¨¨,,¨,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,¨,,¨¨