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