#§†..,,,,,                                          ,,,,,..†§#
#@#§§=†~.,                                          ,.~†=§§#@#
§§=†.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.†=§§
#§==†~~..,                                          ,..~~†==§#
#@#§§=†~.,                                          ,.~†=§§#@#
###§§=†~.,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,.~†=§§###
@§§§§=†~.,         † 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.        ¨^-*%££@##
§===¨,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,¨===§
#@¶#%%/~-,                                          ,-~/%%#¶@#
£%\»«::^.,                                          ,.^::«»\%£
##§£*:,¨..                                          ..¨,:*£§##
##¶§&†^~-¨                                          ¨-~^†&§¶##