*†«-......                                          ......-«†*
†«-.......                                          .......-«†
«-........                                          ........-«
-.........                                          .........-
..........                                          ..........
..........         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ..........
..........         † 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.       ¨.,,¨,¨~-\
&=«:..,,..                                          ..,,..:«=&
§¤:--¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨--:¤§
¶&@*=,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,=*@&¶
#¶£%\~-.¨¨                                          ¨¨.-~\%£¶#
#@¶£§;-^.¨                                          ¨.^-;§£¶@#