......-~†§                                          §†~-......
.......-~†                                          †~-.......
........-~                                          ~-........
.........-                                          -.........
..........                                          ..........
.........-         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         -.........
........-~         † 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.        #£*§/--,¨¨
..,.:»/%¤¶                                          ¶¤%/»:.,..
.,,¨¨.~*%§                                          §%*~.¨¨,,.
.,¨¨¨,~-;$                                          $;-~,¨¨¨,.
¨,,.,,,^=*                                          *=^,,,.,,¨
.¨,.,¨¨,^~                                          ~^,¨¨,.,¨.