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