¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~                                          ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=                                          =~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=†                                          †=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=†$         # ==================== #         $†=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=†$*         † 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.       ,,..,,,.,¨
.¨,,,.¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨.,,,¨.
¨¨¨,.,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,.,¨¨¨
¨,..,,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,,..,¨
¨,,..¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨..,,¨
,..¨¨,¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨,¨¨..,