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