^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^»
=»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         = 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,£# ¨,,,:-*$§@
%**«,¨,...  #&of§the£way¶home#@to@the@time¶from£#   ...,¨,«**%
%:»,¨,.,,,  #@where@they#came,###@#@#and#then####   ,,,.,¨,»:%
\=.,.,.,.,   #####the#feeling#of#this†knowledge*~   ,.,.,.,.=\
»,.¨,¨.,..   ~~being - stolen ~~ from =~» them. .   ..,.¨,¨.,»
:.,,¨¨,¨.,          -- ¨  -»» .  ».  ,=  »          ,.¨,¨¨,,.:
¨,¨.,¨¨,.¨    ^   -,          ,                ¨    ¨.,¨¨,.¨,¨
¨.,¨,,¨,,¨        .      ¨          ¨      *        ¨,,¨,,¨,.¨
.,,.¨..¨..                                          ..¨..¨.,,.
-..¨,.,¨..                   ,#,                    ..¨,.,¨..-
~...,..¨.¨                                          ¨.¨..,...~
\«,..,¨¨,,                   and,                   ,,¨¨,..,«\
§=~^¨,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,¨^~=§
&%=~:.,,,¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨,,,.:~=%&
§¤%;«,,¨.¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨.¨,,«;%¤§
#££$\-,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,-\$££#
#¶#¤**~.¨,                                          ,¨.~**¤#¶#
#@@¤%^\~,,                                          ,,~\^%¤@@#
###¤**~,.,                                          ,.,~**¤###
#&$=;~,,.,                                          ,.,,~;=$&#