##@&*$†=~,                                          ,~=†$*&@##
##@&*$†=~,                                          ,~=†$*&@##
##@&*$†=~,                                          ,~=†$*&@##
##@&*$†=~,                                          ,~=†$*&@##
@*$$$†~,,,                                          ,,,~†$$$*@
##@&*$†=~,         # ==================== #         ,~=†$*&@##
#@***$†=~,         † the wolf pool exists †         ,~=†$***@#
@**†~~,,,,         † 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%-%$a§sudden&*awareness#     ,:=/=*@¤#@
##££$§:~,. #$of£&exactly¤#how¤they@had#traveled,$#  .,~:§$££##
£§#%£*^»,.   #§of¤the@way@home#£to#the#time¶from@#  .,»^*£%#§£
##@@#£*†=,  #@where#they#came,@@#@@##and@then@###   ,=†*£#@@##
@@/»,,¨,.¨   #####the#feeling#of#this†knowledge:~   ¨.,¨,,»/@@
##@¶@^/-..   «~being ~ stolen ~- from ~=~ them. .   ..-/^@¶@##
###@*$:=,,          »» .  «-» .  ».  ~-  ~          ,,=:$*@###
####%=/=,¨    ~   ,.          ,                .    ¨,=/=%####
##¶#$%†«-.        .      ¨          ,      %        .-«†%$#¶##
#§%^*=;~~.                                          .~~;=*^%§#
##@%*%;-~.                   ,#,                    .~-;%*%@##
###@@$/»-,                                          ,-»/$@@###
@@@&%==«.,                   and,                   ,.«==%&@@@
##@#§§\~-,                                          ,-~\§§#@##
#*†:,-.,,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,,.-,:†*#
@**§†.,,..        now its wolves see further.       ..,,.†§**@
##@@%$/~~,                                          ,~~/$%@@##
&%~=¨,..,.                                          .,..,¨=~%&
@&*\~,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,~\*&@
###§£†*«,,                                          ,,«*†£§###
##£@%*:-~,                                          ,~-:*%@£##