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