#%;~~,....                                          ....,~~;%#
####%*;~,.                                          .,~;*%####
#%;~......                                          ......~;%#
#¶%*~.....                                          .....~*%¶#
¶¶#%;;;~,.                                          .,~;;;%#¶¶
¶%%*~.....         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .....~*%%¶
¶##%;,,...         ; 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.        ¨~»=$§@¶@#
##£¤£%†-^¨                                          ¨^-†%£¤£##
##@&*=\«,.                                          .,«\=*&@##
#@#¤@^;=^.                                          .^=;^@¤#@#
&§£¤†\-=^,                                          ,^=-\†¤£§&
###&§††«^¨                                          ¨^«††§&###