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