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