¨~-;%£§###                                          ###§£%;-~¨
¨¨~-;%£§##                                          ##§£%;-~¨¨
¨~-;%£§###                                          ###§£%;-~¨
¨¨~-;%£§##                                          ##§£%;-~¨¨
¨~-;%£§###                                          ###§£%;-~¨
¨¨~-;%£§##         # -------------------- #         ##§£%;-~¨¨
¨~-;%£§###         ; 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.       ##§*%\»~,¨
,~»†%&£@##                                          ##@£&%†»~,
.¨-~\*$£@#                                          #@£$*\~-¨.
¨.»;$£@@##                                          ##@@£$;».¨
,.~~*=&§##                                          ##§&=*~~.,
¨-=†*£@###                                          ###@£*†=-¨