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