¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~;                                          ;~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~;*         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         *;~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~;*§         ; 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.       «~,,¨.,¨.¨
......,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,......
¨,..,¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨,..,¨
,¨,¨¨,,.,.                                          .,.,,¨¨,¨,
.¨¨.¨¨.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.¨¨.¨¨.
..,,..,¨..                                          ..¨,..,,..