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