##@@&§†«.¨                                          ¨.«†§&@@##
#@@&§†«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«†§&@@#
##@@&§†«.¨                                          ¨.«†§&@@##
#@@&§†«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«†§&@@#
##@@&§†«.¨                                          ¨.«†§&@@##
#@@&§†«.¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨.«†§&@@#
##@@&§†«.¨         † 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.        ¨.~»:†§¶@#
###@*=\~:.                                          .:~\=*@###
##@$%*»,..                                          ..,»*%$@##
##@#¤**»,,                                          ,,»**¤#@##
##@£*:~:..                                          ..:~:*£@##
####@**»,¨                                          ¨,»**@####