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