¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=                                          =~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=                                          =~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=§                                          §=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~=§@                                          @§=~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~=§@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@§=~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~=§@##         = 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.        =;»,¨¨¨.,¨
¨..¨,,..=:                                          :=..,,¨..¨
,.,¨,¨¨.:~                                          ~:.¨¨,¨,.,
,¨.,¨..,-^                                          ^-,..¨,.¨,
¨¨.,.,~«=%                                          %=«~,.,.¨¨
,,¨¨.-~^^§                                          §^^~-.¨¨,,