¨¨¨¨¨¨~^%@                                          @%^~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~=^%@@##                                          ##@@%^=~.¨
¨¨¨¨~==^%@                                          @%^==~¨¨¨¨
¨.~=^%@###                                          ###@%^=~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~^@                                          @^~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~=^%@###         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ###@%^=~.¨
¨.~=^%@@@#         = 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. .   @¤%*»,^^~¨
,,.,,-††$¶          ~« .  »«~ .  -,  ~=  »          ¶$††-,,.,,
¨,~/=££@##    .   ~:          ~                .    ##@££=/~,¨
¨^-:%§@@##        ¨      .          ¨      %        ##@@§%:-^¨
.,¨.¨^;§*¤                                          ¤*§;^¨.¨,.
.,~\$%@###                    ,#¨                   ###@%$\~,.
,¨¨,^-=§§£                                          £§§=-^,¨¨,
,,¨,-,~%£@                   and,                   @£%~,-,¨,,
¨.,,.,«*¤#                                          #¤*«,.,,.¨
..¨,¨¨~%¤¤  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¤¤%~¨¨,¨..
..«†%%@###        now its wolves see further.       ###@%%†«..
.,.^^%§#@§                                          §@#§%^^.,.
,.,¨..-~*#                                          #*~-..¨,.,
.,¨¨~.»^££                                          ££^».~¨¨,.
¨,,¨¨,»††@                                          @††»,¨¨,,¨
.,~^$£##@#                                          #@##£$^~,.