##££§%;=,.                                          .,=;%§££##
##££§%;=,.                                          .,=;%§££##
##££§%;=,.                                          .,=;%§££##
£§%=,,....                                          ....,,=%§£
££££§%;=,.                                          .,=;%§££££
#£££§%;=,.         # ==================== #         .,=;%§£££#
££§§%;;=,.         ; 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.        ¨.~;%*£¶##
##¶@§*:-~¨                                          ¨~-:*§@¶##
§£$«..¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨..«$£§
@#@@¤$*-,.                                          .,-*$¤@@#@
####£%;-,,                                          ,,-;%£####
£@%=^»¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨»^=%@£