###¤£===.¨                                          ¨.===£¤###
#¤¤====¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨====¤¤#
##£=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=£##
###¤£===.¨                                          ¨.===£¤###
¤=====.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=====¤
¤¤===.¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨.===¤¤
###¤£===.¨         = 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.       ,,-;†££#@@
@#¶&*=*»,¨                                          ¨,»*=*&¶#@
§£%$-,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,-$%£§
##@#%=*«~.                                          .~«*=%#@##
@#£#£$:~,¨                                          ¨,~:$£#£#@
####%*^»,¨                                          ¨,»^*%####