......==*¤                                          ¤*==......
.....==*¤#                                          #¤*==.....
....==*¤#¶                                          ¶#¤*==....
...==*¤#¶#                                          #¶#¤*==...
..==*¤#¶##                                          ##¶#¤*==..
...==*¤#¶#         # ==================== #         #¶#¤*==...
....==*¤#¶         = 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$¤exactly&@how&they§had¤traveled,£# ~-¨.,.¨,¨.
,¨¨..,,¨.^   #&of£the@way¶home@#to@the#time#from¶£  ^.¨,,..¨¨,
,¨,,..,,¨¨  #@where#they#came,#@####@and#then#@##   ¨¨,,..,,¨,
..¨.¨...,,   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge;=   ,,...¨.¨..
,.¨¨,,¨¨¨¨   »«being ~ stolen ~~ from ~~« them. .   ¨¨¨¨,,¨¨.,
..¨,,¨,,..          ~» ¨  ~-« .  =¨  --  ~          ..,,¨,,¨..
...¨¨.¨,¨¨    ,   ~~          :                ,    ¨¨,¨.¨¨...
..,..,,,¨.        .      ¨          ¨      %        .¨,,,..,..
.,¨¨¨¨..,-                                          -,..¨¨¨¨,.
..,,¨¨,:~†                    ¨#,                   †~:,¨¨,,..
,¨,,,¨.»*†                                          †*».¨,,,¨,
.,¨.,-==*£                   and,                   £*==-,.¨,.
,¨.¨.=^**§                                          §**^=.¨.¨,
.¨¨-~*=%#£  now the reach of the pool has widened.  £#%=*~-¨¨.
.,.-^**#@@       now its wolves see further.        @@#**^-.,.
,~»:$¤§£##                                          ##£§¤$:»~,
,,,«:§$@¶#                                          #¶@$§:«,,,
.¨,.~*%$¤#                                          #¤$%*~.,¨.
,.¨¨,=*=£§                                          §£=*=,¨¨.,
,..¨¨~=*^$                                          $^*=~¨¨..,