..........                                          ..........
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.........,                                          ,.........
........,=         # ==================== #         =,........
.......,=\         \ 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.       *:~.,.¨¨..
.¨..,.,^~/                                          /~^,.,..¨.
¨..¨,,¨,^~                                          ~^,¨,,¨..¨
,.¨.,.,,.,                                          ,.,,.,.¨.,
..¨.¨.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.¨.¨..
¨¨..¨.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.¨..¨¨