@%//«.,,,,                                          ,,,,.«//%@
##£@$%/«.,                                          ,.«/%$@£##
£$%«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«%$£
##£@$%/«.,                                          ,.«/%$@£##
@%«,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,«%@
##£@$%/«.,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,.«/%$@£##
£$%«,,,,,,         / the wolf pool exists /         ,,,,,,«%$£
££@@$%/«.,         / in a stale timeline, /         ,.«/%$@@££
###@$%/«.,         /  branched way back   /         ,.«/%$@###
#@$/..,,,,         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ,,,,../$@#
@$$/«.,,,,         /  was almost barren,  /         ,,,,.«/$$@
@@%/««,,,,  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.        ¨..~--^=$#
##@@$§/~^¨                                          ¨^~/§$@@##
#¶@£&%/=,.                                          .,=/%&£@¶#
####@%:~,¨                                          ¨,~:%@####
£$%†*:-:.¨                                          ¨.:-:*†%$£
#@@@*§;»,.                                          .,»;§*@@@#