###¤§*†=.,                                          ,.=†*§¤###
¤***†=..,,                                          ,,..=†***¤
#§†††††=.,                                          ,.=†††††§#
#¤§**†=..,                                          ,..=†**§¤#
¤*=,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,=*¤
###¤§*†=.,         # ==================== #         ,.=†*§¤###
###¤§*†=.,         † 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.        .¨,..,~^%#
@@$£*=^~.¨                                          ¨.~^=*£$@@
£^§$%*:~,¨                                          ¨,~:*%$§^£
£§;/:¨..,,                                          ,,..¨:/;§£
##¶£§%/-,.                                          .,-/%§£¶##
&$&$^=¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨=^$&$&