@*†«~.....                                          .....~«†*@
*†«~......                                          ......~«†*
†«~.......                                          .......~«†
«~........                                          ........~«
~.........                                          .........~
..........         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ..........
..........         † 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.  ,¨,..,,-=:
$^»:¨,.,¨,       now its wolves see further.        ,¨,.,¨:»^$
$%\»-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-»\%$
@¤*†~,..¨¨                                          ¨¨..,~†*¤@
@&&*†~-¨¨,                                          ,¨¨-~†*&&@
@@¤§*:=.,.                                          .,.=:*§¤@@
#@£@**:~,,                                          ,,~:**@£@#