%$/«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«/$%
@%$/«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«/$%@
#@%$/«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«/$%@#
##@%$/«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«/$%@##
###@%$/«.¨                                          ¨.«/$%@###
##@%$/«.¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨.«/$%@##
#@%$/«.¨¨¨         / the wolf pool exists /         ¨¨¨.«/$%@#
@%$/«.¨¨¨¨         / in a stale timeline, /         ¨¨¨¨.«/$%@
%$/«.¨¨¨¨¨         /  branched way back   /         ¨¨¨¨¨.«/$%
$/«.¨¨¨¨¨¨         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«/$
/«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         /  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.       ,¨¨¨,¨,..-
:-.,...,..                                          ..,...,.-:
*;~~,,,..¨                                          ¨..,,,~~;*
$†:~:.¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨.:~:†$
§@%\«,.,,,                                          ,,,.,«\%@§
¶&$%=-:.¨.                                          .¨.:-=%$&¶