¨^~=$§§§§#                                          #§§§§$=~^¨
¨^~=$§§###                                          ###§§$=~^¨
¨^~====$$§                                          §$$====~^¨
¨^~=$§§###                                          ###§§$=~^¨
¨^~=$§§###                                          ###§§$=~^¨
¨^~$§§####         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ####§§$~^¨
¨^~=$§§###         = the wolf pool exists =         ###§§$=~^¨
¨^~=$§####         = in a stale timeline, =         ####§$=~^¨
¨^^~~$$§##         =  branched way back   =         ##§$$~~^^¨
¨¨¨^=$§§§#         =  when kirugu vargir  =         #§§§$=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~$§§§         =  was almost barren,  =         §§§$~^¨¨¨¨
¨^~=$§§### comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ###§§$=~^¨
¨^~=$§§§##  and plants were only starting to grow,  ##§§§$=~^¨
¨^~=$§####         =        at all...     =         ####§$=~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~$§         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         §$~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:»~;\$@£#                                          #£@$\;~»:¨
¨-~\^%####     misplaced explorers traverse the     ####%^\~-¨
.,«\*$£###   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.       §#§§*::.,¨
.~»\$£@@##                                          ##@@£$\»~.
.,-/*@&###                                          ###&@*/-,.
¨...,,-\$@                                          @$\-,,...¨
.,~†*$@&#@                                          @#&@$*†~,.
..»\^¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤^\»..