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