£$$/«.....                                          .....«/$$£
##££$%/«^.                                          .^«/%$££##
££££$%/«^.                                          .^«/%$££££
###££$%/«.                                          .«/%$££###
£$$%//^^..                                          ..^^//%$$£
###£$%/«^.         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .^«/%$£###
##££$%/«^.         / the wolf pool exists /         .^«/%$££##
££$%/««...         / in a stale timeline, /         ...««/%$££
##££$%/«^.         /  branched way back   /         .^«/%$££##
£$/«......         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ......«/$£
£%««......         /  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.        .,-^%**###
##£§§%;«,¨                                          ¨,«;%§§£##
¤§=/\:...¨                                          ¨...:\/=§¤
##*$;,¨,..                                          ..,¨,;$*##
£#@@&^†-,,                                          ,,-†^&@@#£
@¤;^»-«»:¨                                          ¨:»«-»^;¤@