##¶¤£*=«,.                                          .,«=*£¤¶##
##¶¤£*=«,.                                          .,«=*£¤¶##
##¶¤£*=«,.                                          .,«=*£¤¶##
#¤**=«,...                                          ...,«=**¤#
#¤£=««....                                          ....««=£¤#
##¶¤£*=«,.         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .,«=*£¤¶##
##¶¤£*=«,.         = 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.        ,--†=§£¶##
##@@$§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§$@@##
##@¤$**~.,                                          ,.~**$¤@##
#@¶&£**~~¨                                          ¨~~**£&¶@#
###¶@%\-.¨                                          ¨.-\%@¶###
#†*~~~~,,,                                          ,,,~~~~*†#