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