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