###@£**-,.                                          .,-**£@###
##@£**-,..                                          ..,-**£@##
#@£**-,...                                          ...,-**£@#
@£**-,....                                          ....,-**£@
£**-,.....                                          .....,-**£
**-,......         # -------------------- #         ......,-**
£**-,.....         * 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.  ¨¨.~~:*£@#
#@¤@$:«:,,        now its wolves see further.       ,,:«:$@¤@#
##@@@*;«~,                                          ,~«;*@@@##
##&£†=~-.¨                                          ¨.-~=†£&##
#¤$^\~,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,~\^$¤#
£$%/-~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~-/%$£
£$/~,,¨,,.                                          .,,¨,,~/$£