$=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=$
=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         = 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.        ¨.¨.¨,¨,=/
$:~,,,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,,,~:$
£%†~.,.,,,                                          ,,,.,.~†%£
@*§†»^.,¨.                                          .¨,.^»†§*@
¶§£=\~,..,                                          ,..,~\=£§¶
#@&%^†~,,.                                          .,,~†^%&@#