.......,«/                                          /«,.......
......,«/=                                          =/«,......
.....,«/=&                                          &=/«,.....
....,«/=&#                                          #&=/«,....
...,«/=&##                                          ##&=/«,...
..,«/=&###         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ###&=/«,..
.,«/=&####         / 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.        ,..¨,.¨,.,
,.¨¨,,.,,.                                          .,,.,,¨¨.,
.¨.¨,,¨,..                                          ..,¨,,¨.¨.
.¨,...¨¨..                                          ..¨¨...,¨.
¨.¨.¨.,,,.                                          .,,,.¨.¨.¨
¨,,.,¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨,.,,¨