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