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