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