###@$%/-~¨                                          ¨~-/%$@###
@%--¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨--%@
###@$%/-~¨                                          ¨~-/%$@###
@$%%-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-%%$@
#@$$%-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-%$$@#
####@$%-~¨         # -------------------- #         ¨~-%$@####
####$%/-~¨         / the wolf pool exists /         ¨~-/%$####
###@$%/-~¨         / in a stale timeline, /         ¨~-/%$@###
@%%-~¨¨¨¨¨         /  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.       ,¨¨,¨,:$#@
###&%%^~.,                                          ,.~^%%&###
@#£#@=*-,,                                          ,,-*=@#£#@
¤¤%%=,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,=%%¤¤
#@^:^¨....                                          ....¨^:^@#
¤†^*,,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,,*^†¤