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