##£%†»-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-»†%£##
#£%†»-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-»†%£#
£%†»-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-»†%£
%†»-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-»†%
†»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»†
»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         † 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.       ...¨.¨¨¨¨,
:.,¨.¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨.¨,.:
~^.,.¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨.,.^~
*»,¨,,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,,¨,»*
†;~:,,..¨¨                                          ¨¨..,,:~;†
§*\-,¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨,-\*§