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