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