¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»:                                          :»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»                                          »,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»:                                          :»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,»:†                                          †:»,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»:†%                                          %†:»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»:†%§         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         §%†:»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»:†%§#         : 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.  $§:~-¨,¨,.
...,,,^«†%        now its wolves see further.       %†«^,,,...
..,¨,¨.,»;                                          ;»,.¨,¨,..
.....¨,¨:~                                          ~:¨,¨.....
..,,,,,,-:                                          :-,,,,,,..
¨,,.¨¨,~;$                                          $;~,¨¨.,,¨
¨..,,^«\%£                                          £%\«^,,..¨