¨¨¨¨¨.=†$%                                          %$†=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†$                                          $†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†                                          †=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=                                          =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         † the wolf pool exists †         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         † in a stale timeline, †         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         †  branched way back   †         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.         †  was almost barren,  †         .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†  and plants were only starting to grow,  †=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†$         †        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.       ~,¨..¨,...
¨..¨¨¨...^                                          ^...¨¨¨..¨
,.¨.,,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,,.¨.,
,¨¨.,¨,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,¨,.¨¨,
¨¨,.¨,,¨.,                                          ,.¨,,¨.,¨¨
,,¨,,.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.,,¨,,