###&$%†-,,                                          ,,-†%$&###
@#$$$%†-,,                                          ,,-†%$$$#@
#&%†--,,,,                                          ,,,,--†%&#
@@#&$%†-,,                                          ,,-†%$&#@@
&$†,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,†$&
&%†-,,,,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,,,,-†%&
@&&$%-,,,,         † the wolf pool exists †         ,,,,-%$&&@
@#&$$%†-,,         † in a stale timeline, †         ,,-†%$$&#@
#@#&$%†-,,         †  branched way back   †         ,,-†%$&#@#
##@#$%†-,,         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ,,-†%$#@##
#$$†-,,,,,         †  was almost barren,  †         ,,,,,-†$$#
&$%%%-,,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,,-%%%$&
###&$%†-,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,-†%$&###
##&%-,,,,,         †        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.        ,,:=-=*$#¶
####%†;~,,                                          ,,~;†%####
##^=-~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~-=^##
##¶&*§=-:,                                          ,:-=§*&¶##
##£#¤$/--.                                          .--/$¤#£##
@£*§†~»~^¨                                          ¨^~»~†§*£@