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