##@@†;».¨¨                                          ¨¨.»;†@@##
#@@†;».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»;†@@#
@@†;».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»;†@@
@†;».¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.»;†@
†;».¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»;†
;».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»;
».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ; 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.       ¨¨,,,,.,«/
»:¨..¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨..¨:»
...¨¨.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.¨¨...
»~,¨,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,¨,~»
;»:,¨¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨¨,:»;
%;-:,,.,.,                                          ,.,.,,:-;%