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