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