¨~~†%$§###                                          ###§$%†~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~%$§§                                          §§$%~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~†%$§###                                          ###§$%†~~¨
¨~~†%$§§§#                                          #§§§$%†~~¨
¨~~†%$§§##                                          ##§§$%†~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~†$§         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         §$†~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~†%$§###         † the wolf pool exists †         ###§$%†~~¨
¨~~†%$§###         † in a stale timeline, †         ###§$%†~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~†%§#         †  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.        £&%@**,¨.¨
,.,»==†*#&                                          &#*†==»,.,
,~=^%¤§@##                                          ##@§¤%^=~,
¨,~*§@¤£&#                                          #&£¤@§*~,¨
.-=\$£#¶##                                          ##¶#£$\=-.
.~«†=$£@##                                          ##@£$=†«~.