#$$$^^=¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨=^^$$$#
###$=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=$###
#$^=¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^$#
####$$^=-¨                                          ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨                                          ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨         # ==================== #         ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨         ^  branched way back   ^         ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨         ^  was almost barren,  ^         ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ¨-=^$$####
####$$^=-¨  and plants were only starting to grow,  ¨-=^$$####
#$$^==¨¨¨¨         ^        at all...     ^         ¨¨¨¨==^$$#
####$$^=-¨         # ==================== #         ¨-=^$$####
##@#$†^-,.                                          .,-^†$#@##
##£#§*†-:,     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.        ,^»:^§¶@##
#*/«.,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,.«/*#
##@#£^\~:,                                          ,:~\^£#@##
@##=%^:«:.                                          .:«:^%=##@
@¤^==,,...                                          ...,,==^¤@
#@#¤£%\«:.                                          .:«\%£¤#@#