¶¶$^-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-^$¶¶
##¶&$^=-:¨                                          ¨:-=^$&¶##
##¶&$^=-:¨                                          ¨:-=^$&¶##
##¶&$^=-:¨                                          ¨:-=^$&¶##
#&^-:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:-^&#
##¶&$^=-:¨         # -------------------- #         ¨:-=^$&¶##
##¶&$^=-:¨         = the wolf pool exists =         ¨:-=^$&¶##
###¶$^=-:¨         = in a stale timeline, =         ¨:-=^$¶###
#¶¶&$^=-:¨         =  branched way back   =         ¨:-=^$&¶¶#
##¶&$^=-:¨         =  when kirugu vargir  =         ¨:-=^$&¶##
¶$^--::::¨         =  was almost barren,  =         ¨::::--^$¶
##¶&$^=-:¨ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ¨:-=^$&¶##
##¶&$^=-:¨  and plants were only starting to grow,  ¨:-=^$&¶##
#¶$^--¨¨¨¨         =        at all...     =         ¨¨¨¨--^$¶#
##¶&$^=-:¨         # -------------------- #         ¨:-=^$&¶##
#@£&%**»^¨                                          ¨^»**%&£@#
##@@%*†«:,     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.        .,,^~*§§##
£@$^†«,¨,,                                          ,,¨,«†^$@£
###@£**-,,                                          ,,-**£@###
#$%*†~-.¨,                                          ,¨.-~†*%$#
###££^^~:¨                                          ¨:~^^££###
#@@§%**~,,                                          ,,~**%§@@#