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