&&££††^-:,                                          ,:-^††££&&
&†^:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:^†&
###@&£^-:,                                          ,:-^£&@###
##@&£†^-:,                                          ,:-^†£&@##
&&££†^:,,,                                          ,,,:^†££&&
##@&£†^-:,         # -------------------- #         ,:-^†£&@##
@£†---,,,,         ^ 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,                   ,^-†=£#¶##
@£@¤*†;~:,                                          ,:~;†*¤@£@
@@$†%;~:,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,:~;%†$@@
#@#§$$=~,.        now its wolves see further.       .,~=$$§#@#
###@£$;»..                                          ..»;$£@###
###&%=^«,¨                                          ¨,«^=%&###
#£*;«:~¨,.                                          .,¨~:«;*£#
###&§%:»-,                                          ,-»:%§&###
@^*†~,,¨.,                                          ,.¨,,~†*^@