.......,-:                                          :-,.......
........,-                                          -,........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,-                                          -,........
.......,-:                                          :-,.......
......,-:*         # -------------------- #         *:-,......
.....,-:*$         : 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.       †*=-,.,¨..
,,,¨,,«=^¤                                          ¤^=«,,¨,,,
,.¨,,-;†&¤                                          ¤&†;-,,¨.,
,,¨:=\§¤#@                                          @#¤§\=:¨,,
.¨-»/†*#¶#                                          #¶#*†/»-¨.
¨-~;%*@@##                                          ##@@*%;~-¨