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