......~**%                                          %**~......
.......~**                                          **~.......
........~*                                          *~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
..........         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..........
..........         * 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.  ##@§$†*-:,
¨,.~;*&¤@#        now its wolves see further.       #@¤&*;~.,¨
.,,-~^^$#@                                          @#$^^~-,,.
,.¨¨.~^§§&                                          &§§^~.¨¨.,
.,¨¨,^=†%£                                          £%†=^,¨¨,.
,..,¨¨.~*=                                          =*~.¨¨,..,
¨¨.¨.¨¨,-=                                          =-,¨¨.¨.¨¨