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