£§$%=-^...                                          ...^-=%$§£
§$%=-^....                                          ....^-=%$§
£§$%=-^...                                          ...^-=%$§£
#£§$%=-^..                                          ..^-=%$§£#
##£§$%=-^.                                          .^-=%$§£##
#£§$%=-^..         # -------------------- #         ..^-=%$§£#
£§$%=-^...         = the wolf pool exists =         ...^-=%$§£
§$%=-^....         = in a stale timeline, =         ....^-=%$§
£§$%=-^...         =  branched way back   =         ...^-=%$§£
#£§$%=-^..         =  when kirugu vargir  =         ..^-=%$§£#
##£§$%=-^.         =  was almost barren,  =         .^-=%$§£##
#£§$%=-^.. comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ..^-=%$§£#
£§$%=-^...  and plants were only starting to grow,  ...^-=%$§£
§$%=-^....         =        at all...     =         ....^-=%$§
£§$%=-^...         # -------------------- #         ...^-=%$§£
#@&@^;~~.,                                          ,.~~;^@&@#
##@£*†*~..     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$$awareness#     ,.¨-«=%%¤@
§§†;«~.,,,  #$of¤¤exactly#£how¤they#had£traveled,$# ,,,.~«;†§§
#§%*=»^,.¨   #§of#the£way@home@@to#the@time@from##  ¨.,^»=*%§#
#@¤£%\~:.¨   ##where#they#came,####@@#and#then@@##  ¨.:~\%£¤@#
###&@§:~,,   #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge^»   ,,~:§@&###
##§§=:~:¨,   ~»being « stolen «« from ««= them. ,   ,¨:~:=§§##
#§@§/~~¨..          »= ¨  ~»= ¨  =,  ,-  ~          ..¨~~/§@§#
#*$=«^,¨,¨    :   -.          -                ,    ¨,¨,^«=$*#
@¤$^*~-¨,.        ,      ,          .      =        .,¨-~*^$¤@
#¶§$*:=.,¨                                          ¨,.=:*$§¶#
##£§%%:=..                    ,#¨                   ..=:%%§£##
#@#**\»-,¨                                          ¨,-»\**#@#
#§§$*=,.,,                   and,                   ,,.,=*$§§#
@&%*«:.,.¨                                          ¨.,.:«*%&@
@&*$==,..¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨..,==$*&@
##¤&==«,¨¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨¨,«==&¤##
##¶£&§^-,,                                          ,,-^§&£¶##
#¶§$%^-~,.                                          .,~-^%$§¶#
#§$*=--¨.,                                          ,.¨--=*$§#
@¤*^~.¨¨..                                          ..¨¨.~^*¤@
@£$$:=~.¨,                                          ,¨.~=:$$£@