#@%==~~:,,                                          ,,:~~==%@#
#@%=~~:,,,                                          ,,,:~~=%@#
##@@%*=~:,                                          ,:~=*%@@##
###@%*=~:,                                          ,:~=*%@###
@@*~~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~~*@@
##@@%*=~:,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,:~=*%@@##
@@%%=:,,,,         = 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.       ¨~«/&££###
###£¤†/«~¨                                          ¨~«/†¤£###
&^*~,.,¨,,                                          ,,¨,.,~*^&
##@&£%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%£&@##
###&*%*«..                                          ..«*%*&###
@&%/,..,..                                          ..,..,/%&@