.....-«†$£                                          £$†«-.....
....-«†$£¤                                          ¤£$†«-....
...-«†$£¤@                                          @¤£$†«-...
..-«†$£¤@#                                          #@¤£$†«-..
.-«†$£¤@##                                          ##@¤£$†«-.
..-«†$£¤@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@¤£$†«-..
...-«†$£¤@         † the wolf pool exists †         @¤£$†«-...
....-«†$£¤         † in a stale timeline, †         ¤£$†«-....
.....-«†$£         †  branched way back   †         £$†«-.....
......-«†$         †  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¤$awareness#    @&**=«.¨.¨
,,,,.«*=@# #%of%#exactly§@how£they£had§traveled,%#  #@=*«.,,,,
¨....:~*%£  #£of&the#way@home@@to¶the¶time£from£#   £%*~:....¨
¨..,¨,~~*%   #£where#they#came,####@##and#then####  %*~~,¨,..¨
,¨¨,,¨.,~;   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge;«   ;~,.¨,,¨¨,
¨,..,¨..:~   -«being « stolen «~ from =-- them. ,   ~:..¨,..,¨
.,,,,,,,¨~          -~ ¨  -=« ¨  »¨  ,»  =          ~¨,,,,,,,.
,.¨,¨,,,,.    ^   ~,          ,                ¨    .,,,,¨,¨.,
.,,..¨¨.¨,        ,      ¨          .      %        ,¨.¨¨..,,.
.¨..,¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨,..¨.
¨¨¨,..¨¨¨¨                   .#¨                    ¨¨¨¨..,¨¨¨
..,,.,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,.,,..
.¨¨¨¨¨..¨,                   and,                   ,¨..¨¨¨¨¨.
¨,.,..,,.¨                                          ¨.,,..,.,¨
¨¨..,,,¨..  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ..¨,,,..¨¨
,..,.¨¨¨-~       now its wolves see further.        ~-¨¨¨.,..,
..,¨.¨.~~:                                          :~~.¨.¨,..
..,,..-~;^                                          ^;~-..,,..
¨¨...-=:**                                          **:=-...¨¨
.,.¨^»†$£&                                          &£$†»^¨.,.
¨.¨-~:$$¤#                                          #¤$$:~-¨.¨