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