###@&$=~,¨                                          ¨,~=$&@###
##@&$†=~,¨                                          ¨,~=†$&@##
###@$†=~,¨                                          ¨,~=†$@###
@&†==,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,==†&@
##@&$†=~,¨                                          ¨,~=†$&@##
@&&&$†=~,¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨,~=†$&&&@
##@&$†=~,¨         = the wolf pool exists =         ¨,~=†$&@##
&&&††~~~,¨         = 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  .~»:$$@@##
§@£@£*=~^.  close, and he quickly gives up as the   .^~=*£@£@§
£$†»=¨,¨¨.  liquid flows into his mind. the others, .¨¨,¨=»†$£
¶¶#@@%==,.   ~ not understanding the~danger, move   .,==%@@#¶¶
@##%%/..,¨       closer to help their¨friend.       ¨,../%%##@
££*-¨..¨.¨       ¨      =    ~            ^ ,       ¨.¨..¨-*££
##¶¤§%^»,¨    and,then¨the.pool.announces¨itself    ¨,»^%§¤¶##
@@@&=/=~.¨      to¨them¨-.sudden¨,,thoughts,of,     ¨.~=/=&@@@
##¶@%%†=,¨    ¨.-dark»wolves«,climbing^out~of:.,»   ¨,=†%%@¶##
¤£$=,,,.¨¨    ~»«the»pool,~surrounding=them*-/^^    ¨¨.,,,=$£¤
##£&$††»^¨     =sudden:thoughts;of~«;climbing†^†    ¨^»††$&£##
#@&*†-~,,,   into§the=pool,*their^thirst*flaring=   ,,,~-†*&@#
@£^*=--,-¨     $%%bright^-^&a$sudden**awareness#    ¨-,--=*^£@
##@&%*/~^. #@of*§exactly§#how¤they§had£traveled,@#  .^~/*%&@##
###¤&%;-~.   #£of£the#way#home@@to#the@time£from£@  .~-;%&¤###
#&&@&§*~:,   ##where#they@came,@##@@#@and#then@#@#  ,:~*§&@&&#
#@@@¤§*«:¨   #####the#feeling#of#this^knowledge:~   ¨:«*§¤@@@#
###£&$*=,.   »=being » stolen »~ from »~- them. .   .,=*$&£###
#£^«»~=«.,          «~ ,  ==~ ,  «.  -»  ~          ,.«=~»«^£#
@£==,,.¨..    :   :^          :                .    ..¨.,,==£@
§@§%*,.¨¨.        .      ¨          ¨      †        .¨¨.,*%§@§
###@&=:«~.                                          .~«:=&@###
@¤$%^,,,.¨                   .#,                    ¨.,,,^%$¤@
&$^~~-¨¨..                                          ..¨¨-~~^$&
#§*†.,¨,.,                   and,                   ,.,¨,.†*§#
@#@:;\-^:¨                                          ¨:^-\;:@#@
@##§§†^=,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,=^†§§##@
#£§^\~¨¨..       now its wolves see further.        ..¨¨~\^§£#
#$$££*/~~,                                          ,~~/*££$$#
&%%^,,.,,,                                          ,,,.,,^%%&
#@@@*†^»~,                                          ,~»^†*@@@#
###¤¤^†»^.                                          .^»†^¤¤###
##££$=^«~¨                                          ¨~«^=$££##