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