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