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