.........,                                          ,.........
........,~                                          ~,........
.......,~/                                          /~,.......
......,~/=                                          =/~,......
.....,~/=£                                          £=/~,.....
....,~/=£#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #£=/~,....
...,~/=£##         / 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.       ¨.¨...,,..
.¨,¨¨¨,,,¨                                          ¨,,,¨¨¨,¨.
¨,..,...¨¨                                          ¨¨...,..,¨
.¨,,.,,,,.                                          .,,,,.,,¨.
¨¨¨,¨,¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨,¨,¨¨¨
.¨¨,..,,,,                                          ,,,,..,¨¨.