»,........                                          ........,»
,.........                                          .........,
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ..........
..........         † 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,                   ¨.-«/*¤¶##
@#%^\-,,,,                                          ,,,,-\^%#@
#$**=~¨¨..  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ..¨¨~=**$#
%$/~^¨,.¨,        now its wolves see further.       ,¨.,¨^~/$%
§:~^¨¨¨...                                          ...¨¨¨^~:§
:»,.......                                          .......,»:
»:,,,¨¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨¨,,,:»
-,,¨.....¨                                          ¨.....¨,,-
,,,,,,...¨                                          ¨...,,,,,,