@§$^--....                                          ....--^$§@
@£§*^-....                                          ....-^*§£@
#@£§$*^-~.                                          .~-^*$§£@#
§§$$$*^-~.                                          .~-^*$$$§§
##@§$*^-~.                                          .~-^*$§@##
£§§$$*^-~.         # -------------------- #         .~-^*$$§§£
@££§$*^-~.         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         .~-^*$§££@
@§****^-~.         ^ 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.        ,,~=%*§@##
#@£\^~:,¨.                                          .¨,:~^\£@#
###§%*†=,¨                                          ¨,=†*%§###
@§$~¨,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,¨~$§@
##@#$†*=.,                                          ,.=*†$#@##
##@#%*†~^.                                          .^~†*%#@##