¨¨,«*^%&##                                          ##&%^*«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«*^%&#                                          #&%^*«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*^%&                                          &%^*«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«*^%                                          %^*«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*^                                          ^*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         *«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*^         * 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.        @¤%*†~,¨.¨
,..-†§@###                                          ###@§†-..,
¨.-†=%&###                                          ###&%=†-.¨
,,.=\%$§@#                                          #@§$%\=.,,
..¨:~†%%¤#                                          #¤%%†~:¨..
.¨¨,,~*%¤¤                                          ¤¤%*~,,¨¨.