¨¨¨¨,~;%§¶                                          ¶§%;~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~;%§¶#                                          #¶§%;~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~;%§¶##                                          ##¶§%;~,¨¨
¨,~;%§¶###                                          ###¶§%;~,¨
¨¨,~;%§¶##                                          ##¶§%;~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~;%§¶#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #¶§%;~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~;%§¶         ; 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.       ¤§^~~..,,,
¨,.¨-»=§§#                                          #§§=»-¨.,¨
,¨¨:»:=&#@                                          @#&=:»:¨¨,
,.,-==¤###                                          ###¤==-,.,
¨:-^§£#@##                                          ##@#£§^-:¨
¨¨~~==####                                          ####==~~¨¨