##@£&%=«~.                                          .~«=%&£@##
£%=«......                                          ......«=%£
##@£&%=«~.                                          .~«=%&£@##
£%%=~.....                                          .....~=%%£
£&=«~~....                                          ....~~«=&£
££&==«....         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ....«==&££
##@£&%=«~.         = 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. .   ¨,»\†$£###
¤$%^,,..,,          «« ¨  ~~« ,  -,  :~  -          ,,..,,^%$¤
###&§$/»,¨    ^   ,~          :                ,    ¨,»/$§&###
###§%%;~-,        ¨      .          ¨      *        ,-~;%%§###
#£%$^-~.¨.                                          .¨.~-^$%£#
###£*§\~..                    .#.                   ..~\§*£###
##@#@*†-^,                                          ,^-†*@#@##
##£#%^\~:¨                   and,                   ¨:~\^%#£##
###§&^^«.,                                          ,.«^^&§###
@&%»¨¨,,,¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨,,,¨¨»%&@
@%=\\-,¨,¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨,¨,-\\=%@
###@$%^~:.                                          .:~^%$@###
###&§†;~-,                                          ,-~;†§&###
@§=\-.¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨.-\=§@
#¤£%-,:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:,-%£¤#
££££%*;»^,                                          ,^»;*%££££