#@@§$†~^,,                                          ,,^~†$§@@#
@@§$†~^,,,                                          ,,,^~†$§@@
@§$†~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~†$§@
@@§$†~^,,,                                          ,,,^~†$§@@
#@@§$†~^,,                                          ,,^~†$§@@#
##@@§$†~^,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,^~†$§@@##
#@@§$†~^,,         † the wolf pool exists †         ,,^~†$§@@#
@@§$†~^,,,         † in a stale timeline, †         ,,,^~†$§@@
@§$†~^,,,,         †  branched way back   †         ,,,,^~†$§@
@@§$†~^,,,         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ,,,^~†$§@@
#@@§$†~^,,         †  was almost barren,  †         ,,^~†$§@@#
##@@§$†~^, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ,^~†$§@@##
#@@§$†~^,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,^~†$§@@#
@@§$†~^,,,         †        at all...     †         ,,,^~†$§@@
@§$†~^,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,^~†$§@
#¤%$*~:¨.¨                                          ¨.¨:~*$%¤#
##&**^~,.¨     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$£exactly#@how§they£had#traveled,*# ¨,¨,~^=%£@
&£†*=,¨..,   ##of@the£way£home#@to#the@time¶from@£  ,..¨,=*†£&
##£=\»..,¨   ##where#they#came,#@@@##@and@then##@#  ¨,..»\=£##
##&%=†«,..   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge^»   ..,«†=%&##
###&%%†=.¨   -~being = stolen ~- from ««- them. ,   ¨.=†%%&###
##¤£*/-:,¨          ~- .  ~~- ¨  ~,  ~»  ~          ¨,:-/*£¤##
#@%%^~^¨,¨    ,   ~,          ~                .    ¨,¨^~^%%@#
££=†~:,,.¨        ,      ,          .      *        ¨.,,:~†=££
#@§%:=,..,                                          ,..,=:%§@#
##&$=:=:,,                    .#.                   ,,:=:=$&##
##@@&†;=:,                                          ,:=;†&@@##
#@#£^†-,,.                   and,                   .,,-†^£#@#
#@*%=-~¨¨,                                          ,¨¨~-=%*@#
£@%;~^,,,¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨,,,^~;%@£
#@&%^-.,.,       now its wolves see further.        ,.,.-^%&@#
##&$*:~-.,                                          ,.-~:*$&##
##@£%^=».¨                                          ¨.»=^%£@##
#@&%=†=-.,                                          ,.-=†=%&@#
@@£†\~:,..                                          ..,:~\†£@@
¤£†;~,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,~;†£¤