.......^~/                                          /~^.......
........^~                                          ~^........
.......^~/                                          /~^.......
......^~/^                                          ^/~^......
.....^~/^$                                          $^/~^.....
....^~/^$#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #$^/~^....
...^~/^$##         / 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.        $==^¨¨¨.,.
.,,¨,¨,,«^                                          ^«,,¨,¨,,.
.,,¨¨.,,,»                                          »,,,.¨¨,,.
¨¨,¨,.¨,«:                                          :«,¨.,¨,¨¨
,¨.,,,-=/*                                          */=-,,,.¨,
.¨..¨,~^*&                                          &*^~,¨..¨.