#*%%%%/--,                                          ,--/%%%%*#
###§*%/--,                                          ,--/%*§###
#§%%----,,                                          ,,----%%§#
###§*%/--,                                          ,--/%*§###
###§*%/--,                                          ,--/%*§###
###§*%/--,         # -------------------- #         ,--/%*§###
###§*%/--,         / 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.        .,.~~»=/%¤
£$£$§*:~,.                                          .,~:*§$£$£
@#£*§*\~,¨                                          ¨,~\*§*£#@
#£$~.,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,.~$£#
@¤$*;/=-:,                                          ,:-=/;*$¤@
#**=-¨.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.¨-=**#