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