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