##§§/~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~/§§##
###§§†/-~¨                                          ¨~-/†§§###
###§§†/-~¨                                          ¨~-/†§§###
###§§†/-~¨                                          ¨~-/†§§###
#§§///--~¨                                          ¨~--///§§#
####§†/-~¨         # -------------------- #         ¨~-/†§####
###§§†/-~¨         / 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.        ,~«^%§£¶@#
£#&=;»-,.¨                                          ¨.,-»;=&#£
#££§†.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.†§££#
@£$†=-,¨,.                                          .,¨,-=†$£@
###@§$*†,¨                                          ¨,†*$§@###
#@##§†=«.¨                                          ¨.«=†§##@#