.......,~/                                          /~,.......
......,~/$                                          $/~,......
.....,~/$£                                          £$/~,.....
....,~/$££                                          ££$/~,....
...,~/$££@                                          @££$/~,...
..,~/$££@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@££$/~,..
.,~/$££@##         / 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.        ££*†~,...,
.,,..^~;**                                          **;~^..,,.
¨..¨¨..»:*                                          *:»..¨¨..¨
¨,¨..¨.-=†                                          †=-.¨..¨,¨
,.,.,..¨,=                                          =,¨..,.,.,
.¨,..¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨..,¨.