@¤%††,....                                          ....,††%¤@
#@@¤£%†-,.                                          .,-†%£¤@@#
@@@¤£%†-,.                                          .,-†%£¤@@@
¤£†-......                                          ......-†£¤
@¤¤%--,...                                          ...,--%¤¤@
#@@¤£%†-,.         # -------------------- #         .,-†%£¤@@#
¤££†,,....         † 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.  ¨^=/%¤&¤¶#
#&§@$§*«~,       now its wolves see further.        ,~«*§$@§&#
¤¤=%†=-=-,                                          ,-=-=†%=¤¤
#@@#§*/~:.                                          .:~/*§#@@#
§§-:.¨¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨¨.:-§§
####$==-,.                                          .,-==$####
##@¤£†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†£¤@##