¨¨.»;*¤&##                                          ##&¤*;».¨¨
¨¨¨.»;*¤&#                                          #&¤*;».¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.»;*¤&                                          &¤*;».¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.»;*¤                                          ¤*;».¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.»;*                                          *;».¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»;         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ;».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»         ; 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.  $\-,,..¨..
..,¨,.¨,»^        now its wolves see further.       ^»,¨.,¨,..
¨,..¨,¨,,~                                          ~,,¨,¨..,¨
¨¨.,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,.¨¨
..,,.,¨¨.»                                          ».¨¨,.,,..
.,.,¨¨,^~*                                          *~^,¨¨,.,.
.¨.,¨,-»*$                                          $*»-,¨,.¨.