¨¨:«*$&@##                                          ##@&$*«:¨¨
¨:«*$&@###                                          ###@&$*«:¨
¨¨:«*$&@##                                          ##@&$*«:¨¨
¨¨¨:«*$&@#                                          #@&$*«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«*$&@                                          @&$*«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:«*$&         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         &$*«:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«*$&@         * the wolf pool exists *         @&$*«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«*$&@#         * in a stale timeline, *         #@&$*«:¨¨¨
¨¨:«*$&@##         *  branched way back   *         ##@&$*«:¨¨
¨:«*$&@###         *  when kirugu vargir  *         ###@&$*«:¨
¨¨:«*$&@##         *  was almost barren,  *         ##@&$*«:¨¨
¨¨¨:«*$&@# comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  #@&$*«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«*$&@  and plants were only starting to grow,  @&$*«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:«*$&         *        at all...     *         &$*«:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«*$&@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @&$*«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨,,~\=%@#                                          #@%=\~,,¨¨
.,~-^*@#£@     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.        §††~-¨.,¨¨
¨¨¨.:»/$££                                          ££$/»:.¨¨¨
.¨¨,~^*$@@                                          @@$*^~,¨¨.
,¨.~†^&£##                                          ##£&^†~.¨,
,,=\%£§###                                          ###§£%\=,,
..,«\=££¶#                                          #¶££=\«,..