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