:--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--:
*:--¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨--:*
£*:--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--:*£
§£*:--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--:*£§
@§£*:--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--:*£§@
#@§£*:--¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨--:*£§@#
##@§£*:--¨         : 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.       .,.,,¨,,.«
\=,,,,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,,,,=\
*/~~,..,,.                                          .,,..,~~/*
&%†»~¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨~»†%&
#$%;=~¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨~=;%$#
#££$:=~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~=:$££#