##¶#%*/-~.                                          .~-/*%#¶##
###¶#%/-~.                                          .~-/%#¶###
##¶#%*/-~.                                          .~-/*%#¶##
¶#%//--...                                          ...--//%#¶
#%*-~.....                                          .....~-*%#
##¶#%*/-~.         # -------------------- #         .~-/*%#¶##
#¶¶#%*/-~.         / 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.        ¨~===¤¤@@#
##££$*/»,.                                          .,»/*$££##
¶@#¤£*:~.,                                          ,.~:*£¤#@¶
#@@&*%\-.,                                          ,.-\%*&@@#
#@@#§$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$§#@@#
###§$*/=:,                                          ,:=/*$§###