@###§=†-,,                                          ,,-†=§###@
£§†--,,,,,                                          ,,,,,--†§£
####§=†-,,                                          ,,-†=§####
###§§=†-,,                                          ,,-†=§§###
##§===†-,,                                          ,,-†===§##
#@£#§=†-,,         # -------------------- #         ,,-†=§#£@#
#@£#§=†-,,         † 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.        ¨^«††@&¶##
##@¶£%:=:,                                          ,:=:%£¶@##
@@%§-,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,-§%@@
##@#§†/»^,                                          ,^»/†§#@##
###§£%:=,,                                          ,,=:%£§###
##£&&$==:.                                          .:==$&&£##