......,-^§                                          §^-,......
.......,-^                                          ^-,.......
........,-                                          -,........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,-                                          -,........
.......,-^         # -------------------- #         ^-,.......
......,-^§         ^ 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. .   #@@¤$*†-~,
..,~^%¤§#@          -» ¨  ~»= ¨  -.  ,«  »          @#§¤%^~,..
,,¨,~=*%##    ~   ~^          ,                ¨    ##%*=~,¨,,
.,,,^=;%¤&        .      .          ,      §        &¤%;=^,,,.
¨...,,~:*$                                          $*:~,,...¨
,¨,.¨.,=*=                    ,#.                   =*=,.¨.,¨,
,..,,,¨~~:                                          :~~¨,,,..,
,¨¨,,,¨,,~                   and,                   ~,,¨,,,¨¨,
...¨.¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨.¨...
.¨,,¨,,¨,~  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ~,¨,,¨,,¨.
..¨¨,¨,--†        now its wolves see further.       †--,¨,¨¨..
..,,¨.~«;%                                          %;«~.¨,,..
¨,¨.,^»^%¤                                          ¤%^»^,.¨,¨
..¨.-~/*%#                                          #%*/~-.¨..
,¨,,-=*£§#                                          #§£*=-,,¨,
,¨:=**$#@@                                          @@#$**=:¨,