&$:~~~....                                          ....~~~:$&
##¶&%$:~-.                                          .-~:$%&¶##
¶&%%$~~...                                          ...~~$%%&¶
#¶%%%$:~-.                                          .-~:$%%%¶#
##¶&%$:~-.                                          .-~:$%&¶##
&%%$$:~...         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ...~:$$%%&
##¶&%$:~-.         : the wolf pool exists :         .-~:$%&¶##
&$~-......         : in a stale timeline, :         ......-~$&
¶&%:--....         :  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.        ,,=*%&#¶##
££@*~=.,..                                          ..,.=~*@££
#@#&£†/~.¨                                          ¨.~/†£&#@#
§§§§-.,..¨                                          ¨..,.-§§§§
£$%**~-,.¨                                          ¨.,-~**%$£
##@¤¤†:«,¨                                          ¨,«:†¤¤@##