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