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