$†^=,.....                                          .....,=^†$
†^=,......                                          ......,=^†
^=,.......                                          .......,=^
†^=,......                                          ......,=^†
$†^=,.....                                          .....,=^†$
¤$†^=,....         # ==================== #         ....,=^†$¤
£¤$†^=,...         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ...,=^†$¤£
#£¤$†^=,..         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         ..,=^†$¤£#
##£¤$†^=,.         ^  branched way back   ^         .,=^†$¤£##
#£¤$†^=,..         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ..,=^†$¤£#
£¤$†^=,...         ^  was almost barren,  ^         ...,=^†$¤£
¤$†^=,....  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ....,=^†$¤
$†^=,.....  and plants were only starting to grow,  .....,=^†$
†^=,......         ^        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. ,   ¨¨.,:»*=$£
¤%;«~...¨,          -- ,  «»- .  ~,  ,«  -          ,¨...~«;%¤
%\«-¨.,,¨¨    ,   .-          :                ,    ¨¨,,.¨-«\%
;»:,,,.¨¨¨        ,      .          ,      ^        ¨¨¨.,,,:»;
%/~.¨,,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,,¨.~/%
$$:»^¨.¨¨¨                    ¨#,                   ¨¨¨.¨^»:$$
£§†^»^¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨^»^†§£
#¤$^:=^,,¨                   and,                   ¨,,^=:^$¤#
@#¤$==«-,¨                                          ¨,-«==$¤#@
###@$†/-~,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,~-/†$@###
#@§$^=~^,,        now its wolves see further.       ,,^~=^$§@#
@¤£*†-,,,,                                          ,,,,-†*£¤@
£@$†~^,..,                                          ,..,^~†$@£
§^*«~,...,                                          ,...,~«*^§
%;»:..¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨..:»;%
*~,¨.¨..¨.                                          .¨..¨.¨,~*