†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†
§†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†§
&§†=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=†§&
@&§†=.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.=†§&@
¶@&§†=.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=†§&@¶
@¶@&§†=.¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨.=†§&@¶@
#@¶@&§†=.¨         † 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.        .¨¨¨¨,.,¨¨
-¨.¨,,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,,¨.¨-
~,,¨¨.¨.,,                                          ,,.¨.¨¨,,~
:~^.,.,..,                                          ,..,.,.^~:
^*-,¨¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨¨,-*^
$$\~,,...¨                                          ¨...,,~\$$