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