###$**~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~**$###
##$**~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~**$##
#$**~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~**$#
$**~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~**$
**~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~**
*~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         * 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.       ..¨.¨.»;%*
%^=~,.,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.,~=^%
:«-¨..,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,..¨-«:
-^.¨..,..,                                          ,..,..¨.^-
^¨,,,¨,...                                          ...,¨,,,¨^
.¨¨.¨,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,¨.¨¨.