##@¤£§*«,.                                          .,«*§£¤@##
##@¤£§*«,.                                          .,«*§£¤@##
##@¤£§*«,.                                          .,«*§£¤@##
#@@¤£§*«,.                                          .,«*§£¤@@#
@@@¤£§*«,.                                          .,«*§£¤@@@
@¤¤¤£§*«,.         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .,«*§£¤¤¤@
##@¤£§*«,.         * 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,                   .,=;§%¤£##
£§@†*~,..,                                          ,..,~*†@§£
§$:^«~-,¨.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .¨,-~«^:$§
¶§$%/~.,..        now its wolves see further.       ..,.~/%$§¶
##@@*^†-~,                                          ,~-†^*@@##
####%=;~-¨                                          ¨-~;=%####
###@$*;~-,                                          ,-~;*$@###
#@#§&*^~^,                                          ,^~^*&§#@#
##££*=^=^.                                          .^=^=*££##