^-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-^
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
^-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^ 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.       ,¨..,~/=@#
&*;»~,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,~»;*&
$;«:,¨....                                          ....¨,:«;$
\~,¨¨,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,¨¨,~\
~-,,,,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,,,,-~
~,,.¨,,...                                          ...,,¨.,,~