#££#$^/=,¨                                          ¨,=/^$#££#
£$/,,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,,/$£
##£#$^/=,¨                                          ¨,=/^$#£##
££#$$^/=,¨                                          ¨,=/^$$#££
£$$$$^/=,¨                                          ¨,=/^$$$$£
####$^/=,¨         # ==================== #         ¨,=/^$####
£$/,¨¨¨¨¨¨         / the wolf pool exists /         ¨¨¨¨¨¨,/$£
£$^=¨¨¨¨¨¨         / in a stale timeline, /         ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^$£
#^^^//==,¨         /  branched way back   /         ¨,==//^^^#
##£#$^/=,¨         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ¨,=/^$#£##
##^==,¨¨¨¨         /  was almost barren,  /         ¨¨¨¨,==^##
##^==,¨¨¨¨  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ¨¨¨¨,==^##
£$$/,,¨¨¨¨  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.       ¨^«/=*¤@@¶
#@%††;:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:;††%@#
#@#£§^†«~,                                          ,~«†^§£#@#
#@£==^~-,,                                          ,,-~^==£@#
@¤%~¨,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,¨~%¤@
##¶@$§;-:¨                                          ¨:-;§$@¶##