%†\=^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^=\†%
†\=^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^=\†
%†\=^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^=\†%
§%†\=^,,,,                                          ,,,,^=\†%§
@§%†\=^,,,                                          ,,,^=\†%§@
#@§%†\=^,,         # ==================== #         ,,^=\†%§@#
##@§%†\=^,         \ 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.        .,,,-«;=¤#
§*;-:...,.                                          .,...:-;*§
%/~:.¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨.:~/%
@†\»^¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨^»\†@
£$$:-.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.-:$$£
¶§£$;~-,,,                                          ,,,-~;$£§¶