¨^~†**§¶##                                          ##¶§**†~^¨
¨¨^~†**§¶#                                          #¶§**†~^¨¨
¨¨¨^~†**§¶                                          ¶§**†~^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~†**§                                          §**†~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^~†**§¶                                          ¶§**†~^¨¨¨
¨¨^~†**§¶#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #¶§**†~^¨¨
¨^~†**§¶##         † 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.       §@%*»:¨...
..,^~^=&¤#                                          #¤&=^~^,..
.¨:~†*£¤@#                                          #@¤£*†~:¨.
..«^$*¤###                                          ###¤*$^«..
¨,:«;=£#¶#                                          #¶#£=;«:,¨
.,¨,==*%¤£                                          £¤%*==,¨,.