¨¨¨¨,-\^§&                                          &§^\-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-\^§&#                                          #&§^\-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-\^§&##                                          ##&§^\-,¨¨
¨,-\^§&###                                          ###&§^\-,¨
¨¨,-\^§&##                                          ##&§^\-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-\^§&#         # -------------------- #         #&§^\-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-\^§&         \ 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.       #££†=~~,¨.
...,-«:=$&                                          &$=:«-,...
.¨..,,«^%£                                          £%^«,,..¨.
¨..,.»†=$@                                          @$=†».,..¨
,.¨-«/^%&#                                          #&%^/«-¨.,
,,:~^^§@##                                          ##@§^^~:,,