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