¶@*=~^....                                          ....^~=*@¶
#¶@*=~^...                                          ...^~=*@¶#
##¶@*=~^..                                          ..^~=*@¶##
###¶@*=~^.                                          .^~=*@¶###
##¶@*=~^..                                          ..^~=*@¶##
#¶@*=~^...         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ...^~=*@¶#
¶@*=~^....         = 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$§exactly¤£how§they¤had£traveled,§#  ¨.¨,«;%¤£#
#£¤:~.¨¨..   #@of§the@way#home@@to#the@time¶from##  ..¨¨.~:¤£#
&%=~,,¨¨,,  #@where@they#came,@#@##@#and#then@#@@   ,,¨¨,,~=%&
%;=~,.,.¨,   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge†»   ,¨.,.,~=;%
£¤^«^.¨¨..   «~being ~ stolen «» from --~ them. .   ..¨¨.^«^¤£
#¤¤=~,.¨,,          ~= ,  ~~~ ¨  =¨  ~=  ~          ,,¨.,~=¤¤#
##@%*«,,,¨    ,   ,,          ,                ¨    ¨,,,«*%@##
#@@#$/~...        ,      .          .      %        ...~/$#@@#
###@¤$/»-,                                          ,-»/$¤@###
##@#$†-^,.                    .#¨                   .,^-†$#@##
#@@@*--.¨.                                          .¨.--*@@@#
@¤*;»,¨¨.,                   and,                   ,.¨¨,»;*¤@
££/«~,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,~«/££
@=-~¨,...,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,...,¨~-=@
£§;«,,,,¨.       now its wolves see further.        .¨,,,,«;§£
£§£†~,,.,,                                          ,,.,,~†£§£
#£@%\-,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,-\%@£#
##£#*=~,¨,                                          ,¨,~=*#£##
####§%;~,,                                          ,,~;%§####
#@@¤$:~~.¨                                          ¨.~~:$¤@@#