@%^†~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~†^%@
#@%^†~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~†^%@#
##@%^†~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~†^%@##
###@%^†~,¨                                          ¨,~†^%@###
##@%^†~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~†^%@##
#@%^†~,¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨,~†^%@#
@%^†~,¨¨¨¨         † 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.        ,,«\=£§@##
##§@%^~,¨.                                          .¨,~^%@§##
#¤§§:~^,¨.                                          .¨,^~:§§¤#
§*§†»,,¨..                                          ..¨,,»†§*§
%%;~~.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.~~;%%
%;-~¨..,,¨                                          ¨,,..¨~-;%