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