#@¶§&*\-,.                                          .,-\*&§¶@#
#@¶§&*\-,.                                          .,-\*&§¶@#
@§§&\,....                                          ....,\&§§@
@§§*\-,...                                          ...,-\*§§@
¶¶§§&*\-,.                                          .,-\*&§§¶¶
§&&\--,...         # -------------------- #         ...,--\&&§
¶¶¶§&*\-,.         \ 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,                   ¨,~/%$§¶##
£§^~¨,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,¨~^§£
¶&§%\;~¨.¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨.¨~;\%§&¶
##@&¤^;»~,       now its wolves see further.        ,~»;^¤&@##
##¶¤¤==»-¨                                          ¨-»==¤¤¶##
#@¶£$*:~.¨                                          ¨.~:*$£¶@#
@¤§^«.,^,.                                          .,^,.«^§¤@
¤@§%%=\~,,                                          ,,~\=%%§@¤
#@£§£†^»,,                                          ,,»^†£§£@#