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