#@#&%*/~,,                                          ,,~/*%&#@#
@&&&%*/~,,                                          ,,~/*%&&&@
&&&***/~,,                                          ,,~/***&&&
&*///~,,,,                                          ,,,,~///*&
#@#&%*/~,,                                          ,,~/*%&#@#
#@#&%*/~,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,~/*%&#@#
##@&%*/~,,         / 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,                   ¨¨,.-««;*@
#$^,¨,.,,.                                          .,,.,¨,^$#
@£§$†^-¨,¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨,¨-^†$§£@
#@@#$*†~:¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨:~†*$#@@#
##@£&%/~,¨                                          ¨,~/%&£@##
###¶¤†;»~,                                          ,~»;†¤¶###
##¶&@=*~~¨                                          ¨~~*=@&¶##
##£@£§/~.,                                          ,.~/§£@£##
#£$*\=¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨=\*$£#