#¤***-^,,,                                          ,,,^-***¤#
##¤¤$**-^,                                          ,^-**$¤¤##
#¤$*-^,,,,                                          ,,,,^-*$¤#
##$*-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-*$##
###¤$**-^,                                          ,^-**$¤###
####¤**-^,         # -------------------- #         ,^-**¤####
#¤¤$***-^,         * the wolf pool exists *         ,^-***$¤¤#
###¤$**-^,         * in a stale timeline, *         ,^-**$¤###
##$*-^,,,,         *  branched way back   *         ,,,,^-*$##
###¤$**-^,         *  when kirugu vargir  *         ,^-**$¤###
##$*^,,,,,         *  was almost barren,  *         ,,,,,^*$##
###¤$**-^, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ,^-**$¤###
###¤$**-^,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,^-**$¤###
###¤$**-^,         *        at all...     *         ,^-**$¤###
#¤$$*^,,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,,^*$$¤#
#£%\/,,.,,                                          ,,.,,/\%£#
#@%=†-^,,¨     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.        .,~;^£#@##
@¶¤#§*/-:¨                                          ¨:-/*§#¤¶@
¤#$*;:.¨.,                                          ,.¨.:;*$#¤
##@£%†=~.¨                                          ¨.~=†%£@##
#@@§@^\-:.                                          .:-\^@§@@#
@*:,,¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨,,:*@