,,,,,,,:«/                                          /«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:«/*                                          */«:,,,,,,
,,,,,:«/**                                          **/«:,,,,,
,,,,:«/**¤                                          ¤**/«:,,,,
,,,:«/**¤@                                          @¤**/«:,,,
,,:«/**¤@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@¤**/«:,,
,:«/**¤@##         / 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.       ,¨.,..¨,,,
.¨.,,....,                                          ,....,,.¨.
,¨,.¨¨,..-                                          -..,¨¨.,¨,
¨,,.,,,:~*                                          *~:,,,.,,¨
.,..¨,,=††                                          ††=,,¨..,.
¨...¨~«†^&                                          &^†«~¨...¨