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