#@£&£**«-¨                                          ¨-«**£&£@#
@£&£**«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«**£&£@
#@£&£**«-¨                                          ¨-«**£&£@#
@£&£**«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«**£&£@
#@£&£**«-¨                                          ¨-«**£&£@#
@£&£**«-¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨-«**£&£@
#@£&£**«-¨         * 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.  ,^«\%£¤###
#@¤*$==^¨¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨¨^==$*¤@#
##@§@$=»:,                                          ,:»=$@§@##
@@#%%*~-,¨                                          ¨,-~*%%#@@
####*§†-^,                                          ,^-†§*####
@¶#£$;=~.,                                          ,.~=;$£#¶@
###@&^/»:.                                          .:»/^&@###