¨¨.«^%§££#                                          #££§%^«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«^%§££                                          ££§%^«.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«^%§£                                          £§%^«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.«^%§££                                          ££§%^«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«^%§££#                                          #££§%^«.¨¨
¨.«^%§££##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##££§%^«.¨
¨¨.«^%§££#         ^ 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@@   ¤$*\«^,¨¨,
,¨,,~†*%¤¶  #¶where#they#came,##@@###and#then#@@#   ¶¤%*†~,,¨,
¨,:«^†§@¶#   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge;»   #¶@§†^«:,¨
.^»;=¤#@##   ~=being ~ stolen ~= from «~» them. ¨   ##@#¤=;»^.
¨,-«\*&§¶#          ~~ ,  ~»~ ¨  -,  ^~  «          #¶§&*\«-,¨
..¨~~\*££@    ~   ,:          .                ¨    @££*\~~¨..
.¨..-~^*£#        ,      ¨          ¨      ^        #£*^~-..¨.
.¨..~:†£#£                                          £#£†:~..¨.
¨.:-==¤###                    ,#¨                   ###¤==-:.¨
.,«/%&@###                                          ###@&%/«,.
¨.~~=^*@£#                   and,                   #£@*^=~~.¨
,,,:~==*§¶                                          ¶§*==~:,,,
,,¨,-~\%&¤  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¤&%\~-,¨,,
..,,-\§%@¶       now its wolves see further.        ¶@%§\-,,..
,,~~†§£&@#                                          #@&£§†~~,,
.,«;*¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤*;«,.
¨¨^~\$£§#@                                          @#§£$\~^¨¨
.,¨~-/=&&#                                          #&&=/-~¨,.
,,,.,~†*$#                                          #$*†~,.,,,