.,-†%£§@##                                          ##@§£%†-,.
..,-†%£§@#                                          #@§£%†-,..
...,-†%£§@                                          @§£%†-,...
....,-†%£§                                          §£%†-,....
.....,-†%£                                          £%†-,.....
......,-†%         # -------------------- #         %†-,......
.......,-†         † 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.        §§%*~~,¨¨.
,,¨,«;*£¤#                                          #¤£*;«,¨,,
¨,~-/=%§##                                          ##§%=/-~,¨
,,~\=£@###                                          ###@£=\~,,
¨¨,~;%*@@#                                          #@@*%;~,¨¨
¨.¨,»;$£§#                                          #§£$;»,¨.¨