#$$==,,...                                          ...,,==$$#
##$=,.....                                          .....,=$##
##¶#$*=~,.                                          .,~=*$#¶##
###¶#$*~,.                                          .,~*$#¶###
##*=,.....                                          .....,=*##
##¶#$*=~,.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .,~=*$#¶##
##¶#$*=~,.         = the wolf pool exists =         .,~=*$#¶##
##¶#$*=~,.         = in a stale timeline, =         .,~=*$#¶##
###¶#$*=~,         =  branched way back   =         ,~=*$#¶###
##¶#$*=~,.         =  when kirugu vargir  =         .,~=*$#¶##
###*~~~,,.         =  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.        .,=*=££###
###£&†;~-¨                                          ¨-~;†&£###
##%%«..,.¨                                          ¨.,..«%%##
#@@&§†^«,¨                                          ¨,«^†§&@@#
#†*^§«».,,                                          ,,.»«§^*†#
£¤*:~,-,¨.                                          .¨,-,~:*¤£