##@&%=\»-¨                                          ¨-»\=%&@##
#@&%=\»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»\=%&@#
##@&%=\»-¨                                          ¨-»\=%&@##
#@&%=\»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»\=%&@#
##@&%=\»-¨                                          ¨-»\=%&@##
#@&%=\»-¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨-»\=%&@#
##@&%=\»-¨         \ 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.       ..^~:*&¤##
##@&%=;-,¨                                          ¨,-;=%&@##
##@£§^»:,.                                          .,:»^§£@##
####&†=~~,                                          ,~~=†&####
##¤%†/~,,,                                          ,,,~/†%¤##
###¤£%^«~,                                          ,~«^%£¤###