...:»†=%£@                                          @£%=†»:...
..:»†=%£@#                                          #@£%=†»:..
.:»†=%£@##                                          ##@£%=†»:.
..:»†=%£@#                                          #@£%=†»:..
...:»†=%£@                                          @£%=†»:...
....:»†=%£         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         £%=†»:....
.....:»†=%         † 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.        $*-,.,.,¨,
...,.:~†^£                                          £^†~:.,...
.¨..-~/†&£                                          £&†/~-..¨.
,,¨.~\^*¤@                                          @¤*^\~.¨,,
¨,^»*†%@##                                          ##@%†*»^,¨
.--/^@£###                                          ###£@^/--.