¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^                                          ^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=                                          =~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         = 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.       ~....¨.,¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,¨¨¨¨¨
.,.,,¨....                                          ....¨,,.,.
..¨¨.,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,.¨¨..
,...,¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨,...,
.¨...,,,..                                          ..,,,...¨.