....-;^£#@                                          @#£^;-....
.....-;^£#                                          #£^;-.....
......-;^£                                          £^;-......
.......-;^                                          ^;-.......
........-;                                          ;-........
.........-         # -------------------- #         -.........
..........         ; 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.        ,,,..¨.,¨.
,.,..¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨..,.,
,,..,.¨¨^»                                          »^¨¨.,..,,
.,.¨..¨:~†                                          †~:¨..¨.,.
....¨¨~-†%                                          %†-~¨¨....
.¨.,.^~:%£                                          £%:~^.,.¨.