....^-/%¤#                                          #¤%/-^....
...^-/%¤#¶                                          ¶#¤%/-^...
..^-/%¤#¶#                                          #¶#¤%/-^..
.^-/%¤#¶##                                          ##¶#¤%/-^.
..^-/%¤#¶#                                          #¶#¤%/-^..
...^-/%¤#¶         # -------------------- #         ¶#¤%/-^...
....^-/%¤#         / 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£@   #@¤$^/«:,.
..«/*¤&###   #@where#they#came,#######and#then@@#@  ###&¤*/«..
,,^«††&@£@   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge^-   @£@&††«^,,
.¨¨.»\$%&£   ««being ~ stolen «= from ~«- them. ¨   £&%$\».¨¨.
.,¨,,~=*&¤          =- .  »-~ ,  -,  ,«  ~          ¤&*=~,,¨,.
...¨.~~^%%    -   -,          ,                ¨    %%^~~.¨...
¨¨..,..»†$        .      ,          ,      %        $†»..,..¨¨
,¨.¨,¨,.-†                                          †-.,¨,¨.¨,
..¨.,.,.~=                   ¨#¨                    =~.,.,.¨..
¨,...,,.,.                                          .,.,,...,¨
,¨¨.,¨¨¨¨¨                   and,                   ¨¨¨¨¨,.¨¨,
.,,.¨,.¨.-                                          -.¨.,¨.,,.
,,¨..¨..^»  now the reach of the pool has widened.  »^..¨..¨,,
¨.....¨~=;       now its wolves see further.        ;=~¨.....¨
¨¨,..¨^=:$                                          $:=^¨..,¨¨
.¨.¨,.»\=¤                                          ¤=\».,¨.¨.
¨¨,.,»††£§                                          §£††»,.,¨¨
,,¨~=;%£&@                                          @&£%;=~¨,,
,.:=/*@&@@                                          @@&@*/=:.,