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