###&&%=«:¨                                          ¨:«=%&&###
&&%%%=«::¨                                          ¨::«=%%%&&
#@#&&%=«:¨                                          ¨:«=%&&#@#
#@#&&%=«:¨                                          ¨:«=%&&#@#
#@#&&%=«:¨                                          ¨:«=%&&#@#
#&%«««««:¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨:«««««%&#
###&&%=«:¨         = 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.       ,:==§§#@##
@##&¤=;«:¨                                          ¨:«;=¤&##@
£&*/^~,,.,                                          ,.,,~^/*&£
#¤=«~»¨.,,                                          ,,.¨»~«=¤#
##@§%%/»^.                                          .^»/%%§@##
#@#£&^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^&£#@#