£^\--.....                                          .....--\^£
#£^\--....                                          ....--\^£#
##£^\--...                                          ...--\^£##
###£^\--..                                          ..--\^£###
####£^\--.                                          .--\^£####
###£^\--..         # -------------------- #         ..--\^£###
##£^\--...         \ 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.        ¨,¨,,.¨,,.
¨¨.¨¨.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.¨¨.¨¨
,.¨,¨...¨,                                          ,¨...¨,¨.,
¨.¨¨,¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨,¨¨.¨
¨...,¨...,                                          ,...¨,...¨
^,¨¨,,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,,¨¨,^