#@#@§*\~~,                                          ,~~\*§@#@#
###@§*\~~,                                          ,~~\*§@###
##§*\~~~~,                                          ,~~~~\*§##
#@#@§*\~~,                                          ,~~\*§@#@#
#@#@§*\~~,                                          ,~~\*§@#@#
#§\\\\~,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,~\\\\§#
#@*\~,,,,,         \ 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.        .,,¨,¨«-^@
@$$%=«..,,                                          ,,..«=%$$@
####&%:~:,                                          ,:~:%&####
@##¤$%*-,.                                          .,-*%$¤##@
¶§@@=;-,.¨                                          ¨.,-;=@@§¶
@#@¤&%;-.¨                                          ¨.-;%&¤@#@