£@§/=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=/§@£
@§/=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=/§@
§/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/§
/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=/
§/=^¨¨¨¨¨¨         / 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.       .,..~††*£@
££%;-~.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.~-;%££
*%^»~...¨,                                          ,¨...~»^%*
*†=,..¨¨..                                          ..¨¨..,=†*
;~,.,¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨,.,~;
=-¨,,,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,,,¨-=