¨^~/$%¤###                                          ###¤%$/~^¨
¨^~////%##                                          ##%////~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~$¤¤                                          ¤¤$~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~$%¤                                          ¤%$~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~$%¤¤#                                          #¤¤%$~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~$%#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #%$~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/$%¤###         / the wolf pool exists /         ###¤%$/~^¨
¨^~/$%¤###         / in a stale timeline, /         ###¤%$/~^¨
¨^~/$%¤###         /  branched way back   /         ###¤%$/~^¨
¨^~/$%¤###         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ###¤%$/~^¨
¨¨¨¨^^/%¤¤         /  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†«   @&%$§†/=^¨
.,,,~=§£@#   »«being - stolen =- from ~-~ them. ¨   #@£§=~,,,.
,-~/*%¤@##          »- .  ««» ,  »,  ,-  -          ##@¤%*/~-,
¨...¨~.;$@    .   ,^          -                .    @$;.~¨...¨
,-~^$*@@@#        ,      ,          ,      %        #@@@*$^~-,
.^~:=&£¶##                                          ##¶£&=:~^.
,,,¨,^~=¤¶                    ¨#.                   ¶¤=~^,¨,,,
,,~^^@#@##                                          ##@#@^^~,,
..¨.,^/@#¶                   and,                   ¶#@/^,.¨..
¨~»\%$¤###                                          ###¤$%\»~¨
¨.-\§@£@@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@@£@§\-.¨
.,.¨,,,»†&       now its wolves see further.        &†»,,,¨.,.
.,»/**§@##                                          ##@§**/»,.
¨:~†%¤££##                                          ##££¤%†~:¨
,,=;^$&###                                          ###&$^;=,,
¨,»:*§@@##                                          ##@@§*:»,¨
.,,,.^:§&¤                                          ¤&§:^.,,,.