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