###&%=~...                                          ...~=%&###
####&%=~..                                          ..~=%&####
###&%=~...                                          ...~=%&###
##&%=~....                                          ....~=%&##
###&%=~...                                          ...~=%&###
####&%=~..         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..~=%&####
###&%=~...         = 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.  ..-»*%@###
###@@$/~:¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨:~/$@@###
##@#†;»~¨.                                          .¨~»;†#@##
##£%=~~¨,,                                          ,,¨~~=%£##
##¶&%*«:,,                                          ,,:«*%&¶##
##@££$:«..                                          ..«:$££@##
##@£*†~.¨,                                          ,¨.~†*£@##