....-»**£@ @£**»-....
...-»**£@@ @@£**»-...
..-»**£@@# #@@£**»-..
.-»**£@@## ##@@£**»-.
..-»**£@@# #@@£**»-..
...-»**£@@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @@£**»-...
....-»**£@ * 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. *«,.¨.¨¨..
,,,...,.~« «~.,...,,,
,¨,¨¨¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨¨¨,¨,
.,,¨¨¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨¨¨,,.
.¨¨,,,,,,¨ ¨,,,,,,¨¨.
¨..,...,,¨ ¨,,...,..¨