##@&&=\-.¨                                          ¨.-\=&&@##
@&=-.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.-=&@
#@@&&=\-.¨                                          ¨.-\=&&@@#
##@&&=\-.¨                                          ¨.-\=&&@##
##@&&=\-.¨                                          ¨.-\=&&@##
###@&&\-.¨         # -------------------- #         ¨.-\&&@###
&&&&\-¨¨¨¨         \ 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^«   ,¨¨,.-/$£@
¶§%*~,...¨   ~»being ~ stolen «~ from ~«= them. ¨   ¨...,~*%§¶
#@£*^,¨.¨,          =~ ,  «-~ ¨  »¨  ^~  «          ,¨.¨,^*£@#
##£@%=\=,¨    ^   ^-          ~                ¨    ¨,=\=%@£##
###§@†\~..        .      .          .      *        ..~\†@§###
#@@¤£*\-,,                                          ,,-\*£¤@@#
§£&*»~~-¨.                   ,#,                    .¨-~~»*&£§
###¤%%^~,¨                                          ¨,~^%%¤###
#&**=:.,¨.                   and,                   .¨,.:=**&#
####@*†»^,                                          ,^»†*@####
#£^^\~,.,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,.,~\^^£#
##@#*%=~-¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨-~=%*#@##
§£:*:†-,.,                                          ,.,-†:*:£§
##@£¤^=~,¨                                          ¨,~=^¤£@##
£¶@£§»,¨.,                                          ,.¨,»§£@¶£
@*¤%%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%%¤*@
#@@§&$=«^¨                                          ¨^«=$&§@@#