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