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