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