###&£†*~..                                          ..~*†£&###
##&£†*~...                                          ...~*†£&##
###&£†*~..                                          ..~*†£&###
##&£†*~...                                          ...~*†£&##
###&£†*~..                                          ..~*†£&###
##&£†*~...         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ...~*†£&##
###&£†*~..         * 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.  ,.»\†&@@##
##§$§:«,¨,        now its wolves see further.       ,¨,«:§$§##
##@¤¤*==.¨                                          ¨.==*¤¤@##
##¤$*;=:,,                                          ,,:=;*$¤##
##@#*§=~-.                                          .-~=§*#@##
##&$*\~:..                                          ..:~\*$&##
###@¤===~¨                                          ¨~===¤@###