##@£%$^«,¨                                          ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨                                          ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨                                          ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨         ^  branched way back   ^         ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨         ^  was almost barren,  ^         ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨  and plants were only starting to grow,  ¨,«^$%£@##
#@£%$^«,¨¨         ^        at all...     ^         ¨¨,«^$%£@#
##@£%$^«,¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨,«^$%£@##
#@@§^^-:..                                          ..:-^^§@@#
##@££$^=^,     misplaced explorers traverse the     ,^=^$££@##
@#¤£%;»:,.   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,                   ,,«^†$£¶##
#@#&§;~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~;§&#@#
###£&^;»~¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨~»;^&£###
#¶£%%:»,.¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨.,»:%%£¶#
####%=/--.                                          .--/=%####
###£§==.¨,                                          ,¨.==§£###
##@&¤†*=-.                                          .-=*†¤&@##
##£$^*«,,.                                          .,,«*^$£##
##¶@**\~.¨                                          ¨.~\**@¶##