#£%%%%:-^.                                          .^-:%%%%£#
##££%%:-^.                                          .^-:%%££##
##££%%:-^.                                          .^-:%%££##
££%%:-^...                                          ...^-:%%££
##££%%:-^.                                          .^-:%%££##
££%%%:^...         # -------------------- #         ...^:%%%££
##££%%:-^.         : 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.        .¨¨¨,:===§
@#@@§*=-,.                                          .,-=*§@@#@
###£***~,.                                          .,~***£###
#&&&§†~,^¨                                          ¨^,~†§&&&#
§#*-=^,,,,                                          ,,,,^=-*#§
####$%;»,.                                          .,»;%$####