.....=^=$£                                          £$=^=.....
......=^=$                                          $=^=......
.......=^=                                          =^=.......
........=^                                          ^=........
.........=                                          =.........
..........         # ==================== #         ..........
..........         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ..........
..........         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         ..........
.........=         ^  branched way back   ^         =.........
........=^         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ^=........
.......=^=         ^  was almost barren,  ^         =^=.......
......=^=$  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.  #£§@%/=^,.
,:~;%$£###        now its wolves see further.       ###£$%;~:,
,,:»*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*»:,,
.,¨,~=**@#                                          #@**=~,¨,.
¨.,,--:**@                                          @**:--,,.¨
..,¨,.~*§@                                          @§*~.,¨,..
¨,,¨..^»*%                                          %*»^..¨,,¨