....,»=*&§                                          §&*=»,....
.....,»=*&                                          &*=»,.....
......,»=*                                          *=»,......
.......,»=                                          =»,.......
........,»                                          »,........
.........,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,.........
........,»         = 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.       ~,,,¨,¨¨¨¨
,..,¨.,,.=                                          =.,,.¨,..,
,¨..¨¨¨,«\                                          \«,¨¨¨..¨,
..,,,.^~*%                                          %*~^.,,,..
¨,¨.,:«=**                                          **=«:,.¨,¨
¨¨,.,«:%%#                                          #%%:«,.,¨¨