¶¤†;-:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:-;†¤¶
¤†;-:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:-;†¤
†;-:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-;†
¤†;-:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:-;†¤
¶¤†;-:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:-;†¤¶
@¶¤†;-:¨¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨¨:-;†¤¶@
#@¶¤†;-:¨¨         ; 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.        ,¨.^~/$@#@
@&$†«~¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨~«†$&@
#†=-.¨....                                          ....¨.-=†#
*;--....,¨                                          ¨,....--;*
#*^~-,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,-~^*#
#¤*†~~¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨~~†*¤#