§§§$«^,,,,                                          ,,,,^«$§§§
£§$«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«$§£
##£§§$†«^,                                          ,^«†$§§£##
#£§$†^,,,,                                          ,,,,^†$§£#
###£§$†«^,                                          ,^«†$§£###
##£§§$†«^,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,^«†$§§£##
##£§§$†«^,         † the wolf pool exists †         ,^«†$§§£##
##£§§$†«^,         † in a stale timeline, †         ,^«†$§§£##
##£§§$†«^,         †  branched way back   †         ,^«†$§§£##
##£§§$†«^,         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ,^«†$§§£##
##£§§$†«^,         †  was almost barren,  †         ,^«†$§§£##
§§$«^,,,,, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ,,,,,^«$§§
#££§§$†«^,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,^«†$§§££#
##£§§$†«^,         †        at all...     †         ,^«†$§§£##
#§§§§$†«^,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,^«†$§§§§#
@¤%^/..¨,.                                          .,¨../^%¤@
#@§*%†-»:.     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.        ,¨¨¨,:»=*@
£†§=,¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨,=§†£
#@@@£§/~,,                                          ,,~/§£@@@#
£*^-~.¨,..                                          ..,¨.~-^*£
##£@§^†»^¨                                          ¨^»†^§@£##
#@**%%/~.,                                          ,.~/%%**@#