###%*^=,..                                          ..,=^*%###
##%*^=,...                                          ...,=^*%##
#%*^=,....                                          ....,=^*%#
%*^=,.....                                          .....,=^*%
*^=,......                                          ......,=^*
^=,.......         # ==================== #         .......,=^
=,........         ^ 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.  ,¨,.:»\%%@
$^;~^,,¨.¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨.¨,,^~;^$
†;»-,.¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨.,-»;†
;«.,¨¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨¨,.«;
~.¨,,,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,,,¨.~
-,,¨¨,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,¨¨,,-
...,..¨.,,                                          ,,.¨..,...