###¤%*^-^,                                          ,^-^*%¤###
#%%**^--^,                                          ,^--^**%%#
###¤%*^-^,                                          ,^-^*%¤###
¤%%%^--,,,                                          ,,,--^%%%¤
¤%%^^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^^%%¤
###¤%*^-^,         # -------------------- #         ,^-^*%¤###
#¤¤%%*^-^,         ^ 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##  ¨,»/$§#£##
#@¶#£%*«-.   #@where@they@came,#@@#@@#and#then##@@  .-«*%£#¶@#
#@&%=*^»-,   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge*=   ,-»^*=%&@#
##@¤&%=~~,   »»being - stolen ~= from ~~= them. .   ,~~=%&¤@##
#@$^$»¨¨.,          -~ ,  »«» .  =.  ^«  ~          ,.¨¨»$^$@#
£##†%=^-:.    ~   .:          ~                ¨    .:-^=%†##£
@@£*†=,¨¨,        .      ¨          .      *        ,¨¨,=†*£@@
¤%;^-,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,-^;%¤
#@@§**^=.¨                    .#.                   ¨.=^**§@@#
@£@*¤%/=.¨                                          ¨.=/%¤*@£@
##£#%=*-:.                   and,                   .:-*=%#£##
###£§¤^»,,                                          ,,»^¤§£###
@@¤§%*^=:,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,:=^*%§¤@@
##@#§§=»~,       now its wolves see further.        ,~»=§§#@##
£$*==-,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,-==*$£
£@*»~.:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:.~»*@£
§£$$*,,,,.                                          .,,,,*$$£§
@#@§§*:~,.                                          .,~:*§§@#@
#%;=-~.¨.,                                          ,.¨.~-=;%#