££§*==,,,,                                          ,,,,==*§££
##@£§**=.,                                          ,.=**§£@##
£§****.,,,                                          ,,,.****§£
£££*==,,,,                                          ,,,,==*£££
£££§*===.,                                          ,.===*§£££
£§*****=.,         # ==================== #         ,.=*****§£
£§**.,,,,,         * 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:»   ..~^%$&###
¶&@%~,¨,¨¨   ~«being ~ stolen -~ from =~- them. ,   ¨¨,¨,~%@&¶
####&†*«^¨          «~ ,  ~-~ ¨  «¨  .~  ~          ¨^«*†&####
####$%:=,¨    .   ,.          ,                ,    ¨,=:%$####
###§£=/~-¨        ¨      ,          ,      §        ¨-~/=£§###
#£;=,¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨,=;£#
#&*$%$†~~¨                    .#.                   ¨~~†$%$*&#
##@£%$†».¨                                          ¨.»†$%£@##
##@£%%†«,¨                   and,                   ¨,«†%%£@##
£££†^,~,,.                                          .,,~,^†£££
#@%@†«^.,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,.^«†@%@#
¶&@%%§\~~,        now its wolves see further.       ,~~\§%%@&¶
#@£&§†/~,¨                                          ¨,~/†§&£@#
@$§/».,..,                                          ,..,.»/§$@
¤¤§£@^==,¨                                          ¨,==^@£§¤¤
§%/=««,¨..                                          ..¨,««=/%§
##@@£^/«-¨                                          ¨-«/^£@@##