##@§*$;~^.                                          .^~;$*§@##
@@*;^.....                                          .....^;*@@
##@§*$;~^.                                          .^~;$*§@##
##@§*$;~^.                                          .^~;$*§@##
###@*$;~^.                                          .^~;$*@###
#@*$;~~~^.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .^~~~;$*@#
@**;^.....         ; 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\»   .^»/^$§@##
##§&&††«.¨   ~~being = stolen »~ from ««» them. ,   ¨.«††&&§##
§=~«¨¨..¨¨          =~ .  =~- ,  =.  ^~  «          ¨¨..¨¨«~=§
£¶#£¤**».,    ,   ,.          ,                ,    ,.»**¤£#¶£
¶£=«-~~~-.        ,      .          ¨      §        .-~~~-«=£¶
#£§£/~¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨~/£§£#
#§==-..¨¨,                    ,#,                   ,¨¨..-==§#
##@#@%:~:¨                                          ¨:~:%@#@##
##@#£%†~-¨                   and,                   ¨-~†%£#@##
@##§£*\«.¨                                          ¨.«\*£§##@
##@£%^/«^,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,^«/^%£@##
@£¤§§§\-^,       now its wolves see further.        ,^-\§§§¤£@
¶&=»,:,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,:,»=&¶
###@@%*-.,                                          ,.-*%@@###
¶¶@£%%\-,,                                          ,,-\%%£@¶¶
&$:/«.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.«/:$&
###§%*;~-.                                          .-~;*%§###