¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«                                          «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^                                          ^«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^$                                          $^«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«^$$                                          $$^«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«^$$#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #$$^«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«^$$#@         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         @#$$^«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«^$$#@#         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         #@#$$^«-¨¨
¨-«^$$#@##         ^  branched way back   ^         ##@#$$^«-¨
¨¨-«^$$#@#         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         #@#$$^«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«^$$#@         ^  was almost barren,  ^         @#$$^«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«^$$#  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, #$$^«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«^$$  and plants were only starting to grow,  $$^«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^$         ^        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.        ~:¨.¨..¨..
¨,,¨,.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.,¨,,¨
....¨,..¨¨                                          ¨¨..,¨....
,.¨¨.,¨..,                                          ,..¨,.¨¨.,
¨¨.,,,,,^=                                          =^,,,,,.¨¨
..¨,¨,¨~~/                                          /~~¨,¨,¨..