###£$†:-~.                                          .~-:†$£###
££££$†:-~.                                          .~-:†$££££
££$$†:~...                                          ...~:†$$££
££$$$†:-~.                                          .~-:†$$$££
£$::~.....                                          .....~::$£
£$†---....         # -------------------- #         ....---†$£
##££$†:-~.         : the wolf pool exists :         .~-:†$££##
£££†--....         : 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.        ..¨¨..-=%§
##¤£¤^*~,,                                          ,,~*^¤£¤##
¤%=$=*^~:¨                                          ¨:~^*=$=%¤
#@%¤:«¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨«:¤%@#
##@@@%^«..                                          ..«^%@@@##
£%^^\,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,\^^%£