###££*;«^.                                          .^«;*££###
###££*;«^.                                          .^«;*££###
£*«.......                                          .......«*£
###££*;«^.                                          .^«;*££###
###££*;«^.                                          .^«;*££###
###££*;«^.         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .^«;*££###
££;;««^...         ; 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.       ..¨.¨,\*&£
£¤¤^~~~:.,                                          ,.:~~~^¤¤£
#§†%*†«~,¨                                          ¨,~«†*%†§#
####£†\-,,                                          ,,-\†£####
¶#*~¨¨,...                                          ...,¨¨~*#¶
&@¤^;~:,..                                          ..,:~;^¤@&