###£*^*=,¨                                          ¨,=*^*£###
#****^*=,¨                                          ¨,=*^****#
###£*^*=,¨                                          ¨,=*^*£###
#**,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,**#
####£**=,¨                                          ¨,=**£####
###£*^*=,¨         # ==================== #         ¨,=*^*£###
#£^=¨¨¨¨¨¨         * 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.        ,^»=$%&###
##@£%*:«,.                                          .,«:*%£@##
¤%*«,¨¨,,,                                          ,,,¨¨,«*%¤
§^*~.,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,.~*^§
@@$§$§^-..                                          ..-^§$§$@@
#£#*»-:^,.                                          .,^:-»*#£#