##£@**=«~.                                          .~«=**@£##
@@**=«....                                          ....«=**@@
##£@**=«~.                                          .~«=**@£##
@**=~~....                                          ....~~=**@
##£@**=«~.                                          .~«=**@£##
£***«.....         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .....«***£
£@@**«....         = 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.       .¨,,-»†¤##
@%*@/»=~..                                          ..~=»/@*%@
##@§£%*~,.                                          .,~*%£§@##
##£§§**~~.                                          .~~**§§£##
¶£:~,,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,,~:£¶
@£§*»-.,,¨                                          ¨,,.-»*§£@