##£§*†;=:,                                          ,:=;†*§£##
§§††††;=:,                                          ,:=;††††§§
#@£§*†;=:,                                          ,:=;†*§£@#
£££§*†;=:,                                          ,:=;†*§£££
##@£§†;=:,                                          ,:=;†§£@##
#@£§*†;=:,         # ==================== #         ,:=;†*§£@#
£**;:,,,,,         ; 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.       ¨.«^†$¤@@#
##@#&%;~^.                                          .^~;%&#@##
#££%:*/~~,                                          ,~~/*:%££#
##@#@*;~-,                                          ,-~;*@#@##
@#£*†\~^.,                                          ,.^~\†*£#@
#§%†~¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨~†%§#