¤%\-,.....                                          .....,-\%¤
%\-,......                                          ......,-\%
\-,.......                                          .......,-\
-,........                                          ........,-
,.........                                          .........,
..........         # -------------------- #         ..........
..........         \ 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.       ..¨.¨,¨,:-
~¨¨.,,,,.,                                          ,.,,,,.¨¨~
,¨¨...¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨...¨¨,
,¨,.,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,.,¨,
...,,¨..¨¨                                          ¨¨..¨,,...
.¨¨¨.¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨.¨¨¨.