##££*\=:..                                          ..:=\*££##
#££*\=:...                                          ...:=\*££#
££*\=:....                                          ....:=\*££
#££*\=:...                                          ...:=\*££#
##££*\=:..                                          ..:=\*££##
###££*\=:.         # ==================== #         .:=\*££###
##££*\=:..         \ 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.        ¨¨,.~/†§¤@
##£§†:»:,¨                                          ¨,:»:†§£##
##@&&==~,¨                                          ¨,~==&&@##
##&%**=^.¨                                          ¨.^=**%&##
#¤@%\~~¨,,                                          ,,¨~~\%@¤#
§%%†~,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,~†%%§