..#.##..#. ...#.##.#.
....###..# .....##..#
#...#.##.. .....###..
.#....###. #....#.##.
..#...#.## ##.....###
#..#....## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###....#.#
##..#...#. ^ 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. ,.¤&¤,.¨¨¤
.#§§.¨§¨.¨ ,,¤.§&¨,¨,
.¤¨#@.,£,, ,,..¤&£¨..
¨,.#@@,,§, ¨...¤,¤§,¨
,..£,&&.¨& ...,,,@&¤.
,,¨..§¤&¨, ¨.¨,,¨¤.£§