##§§~.....                                          .....~§§##
##@@#£\~:.                                          .:~\£#@@##
##@@£§\~:.                                          .:~\§£@@##
#@@#£§\~:.                                          .:~\§£#@@#
##@@£§\~:.                                          .:~\§£@@##
#£§~:::::.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .:::::~§£#
#@@#£§\~:.         \ 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.       ¨~~^%§£###
#@¶¤$$^=~,                                          ,~=^$$¤¶@#
@@@¤¤=\=..                                          ..=\=¤¤@@@
#@£#$*/=~.                                          .~=/*$#£@#
@§*$=*~.¨,                                          ,¨.~*=$*§@
#@@@%††--¨                                          ¨--††%@@@#