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