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