#*§-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-§*#
##@@*§=-~¨                                          ¨~-=§*@@##
#**§=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=§**#
###@*§=-~¨                                          ¨~-=§*@###
###@*§=-~¨                                          ¨~-=§*@###
#*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*#
#*§=--¨¨¨¨         = 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.       ..«=:^¤££@
###£¤£^-..                                          ..-^£¤£###
&¤$¤\;»~,¨                                          ¨,~»;\¤$¤&
##@§$^\~-.                                          .-~\^$§@##
#£#§*=*~,,                                          ,,~*=*§#£#
##*»~»^..¨                                          ¨..^»~»*##