#@£§%†/-,.                                          .,-/†%§£@#
##@£%†/-,.                                          .,-/†%£@##
#@£§%†/-,.                                          .,-/†%§£@#
#@£§%†/-,.                                          .,-/†%§£@#
@£§%/-,...                                          ...,-/%§£@
£££§%†/-,.         # -------------------- #         .,-/†%§£££
##@§%†/-,.         / 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.        ¨.,¨.~§¤£#
££§^=~.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.~=^§££
###&@^/~,¨                                          ¨,~/^@&###
#£$^~.,...                                          ...,.~^$£#
##£@£^/=,,                                          ,,=/^£@£##
#@@¤¤†=~-¨                                          ¨-~=†¤¤@@#