¨.~*§$####                                          ####$§*~.¨
¨¨.~*§$###                                          ###$§*~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~*§$##                                          ##$§*~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*§$#                                          #$§*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~*§$                                          $§*~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*§$#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #$§*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~*§$##         * 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.       §@$=».,.¨¨
,¨.,«**%@#                                          #@%**«,.¨,
...~^=§@@#                                          #@@§=^~...
,.»/†£@###                                          ###@£†/».,
¨,~=*=$¤@#                                          #@¤$=*=~,¨
....~*§$@#                                          #@$§*~....