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