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