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