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