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