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