##@&^\=,..                                          ..,=\^&@##
###@&^\=,.                                          .,=\^&@###
##@&^\=,..                                          ..,=\^&@##
#@&^\=,...                                          ...,=\^&@#
##@&^\=,..                                          ..,=\^&@##
###@&^\=,.         # ==================== #         .,=\^&@###
##@&^\=,..         \ 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##   ,¨.~^$£#@#
###£¤=†-~¨   #£where@they#came,@######and#then@###  ¨~-†=¤£###
###£†/=~,.   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge†«   .,~=/†£###
#@¤%=~,¨,¨   -«being = stolen »» from --~ them. .   ¨,¨,~=%¤@#
##@#*=~,¨¨          ~~ ¨  =«= ¨  ~,  .-  ~          ¨¨,~=*#@##
####£=/»,,    :   ^,          :                ¨    ,,»/=£####
#@£¤$/«,.¨        .      .          ,      *        ¨.,«/$¤£@#
@@§†^»~.,,                                          ,,.~»^†§@@
###&^=«:¨,                   .#¨                    ,¨:«=^&###
###@&*/~~¨                                          ¨~~/*&@###
##@@^\=~,,                   and,                   ,,~=\^@@##
#@¤*=«^¨..                                          ..¨^«=*¤@#
##££**-...  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ...-**££##
###@@=*--¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨--*=@@###
####§/~~,¨                                          ¨,~~/§####
#£&%*--,¨¨                                          ¨¨,--*%&£#
##¶£†:~-,¨                                          ¨,-~:†£¶##
##@¶#†==^.                                          .^==†#¶@##
####$^=:¨.                                          .¨:=^$####