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