@@@@*^,,,,                                          ,,,,^*@@@@
@§§*^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^*§§@
@@@@§=,,,,                                          ,,,,=§@@@@
##@§@§*=^,                                          ,^=*§@§@##
###@@§*=^,                                          ,^=*§@@###
##@§@§*=^,         # ==================== #         ,^=*§@§@##
§§*=,,,,,,         * 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.  ,.-:†$&###
##@¤*§^-~¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨~-^§*¤@##
#&#£$†^«,,                                          ,,«^†$£#&#
##£#@%;~:.                                          .:~;%@#£##
###@§%\~^,                                          ,^~\%§@###
@@%¤^/:¨,.                                          .,¨:/^¤%@@
###&%%/=.¨                                          ¨.=/%%&###