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