@#%$/=,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,=/$%#@
#%$/=,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,=/$%#
%$/=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=/$%
$/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/$
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         / 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.       ...¨,,¨¨:»
.,¨,,....,                                          ,....,,¨,.
~,,..¨,,,,                                          ,,,,¨..,,~
/=.,,,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,,,.=/
†;~,,,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,,,~;†
£=*-,.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.,-*=£