¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^         \ 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.       ,¨,¨,¨.,,,
.,¨,,.¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.,,¨,.
¨.¨,,¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨,,¨.¨
,,.¨.¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨.¨.,,
.¨.,¨,,¨~»                                          »~¨,,¨,.¨.
.,,.¨,,.«:                                          :«.,,¨.,,.