#@§:».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»:§@#
@§:».¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.»:§@
§:».¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»:§
@§:».¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.»:§@
#@§:».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»:§@#
##@§:».¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨.»:§@##
###@§:».¨¨         : 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,@#  ¨.,,-:$%@@
#@¤¤*;=-¨.   #@of&the#way#home£@to@the#time£from££  .¨-=;*¤¤@#
###¤£*=~~,  ##where#they@came,@#@###@and#then@###   ,~~=*£¤###
##§%**«^¨¨   #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge;»   ¨¨^«**%§##
¶£&*\~~¨,,   »»being « stolen ~- from ~~» them. ¨   ,,¨~~\*&£¶
#*††~.,,¨¨          =~ ¨  -«» .  =¨  .~  =          ¨¨,,.~††*#
£$:«~¨..¨¨    ,   -.          ^                ¨    ¨¨..¨~«:$£
†:~,,.¨¨¨.        ,      .          ,      =        .¨¨¨.,,~:†
§=\~~,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,~~\=§
¤@=*»~¨.¨¨                   .#.                    ¨¨.¨~»*=@¤
@¤£*†»,¨.,                                          ,.¨,»†*£¤@
#@£¤^*»,¨.                   and,                   .¨,»*^¤£@#
###¤§$†»^,                                          ,^»†$§¤###
#@£§%†~,¨,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,¨,~†%§£@#
@@£†^~.,,¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨,,.~^†£@@
£§$/=.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.=/$§£
$†;-:,...,                                          ,...,:-;†$
§=»,,.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.,,»=§
@=*~.,..¨,                                          ,¨..,.~*=@
@$=*«~..¨,                                          ,¨..~«*=$@