¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;†                                          †;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;                                          ;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;†         ; 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.        \«,,,..,..
.,..¨..»†*                                          *†»..¨..,.
.¨,..,=/*@                                          @*/=,..,¨.
,¨¨.,»=%%@                                          @%%=»,.¨¨,
¨,,,-\^§#£                                          £#§^\-,,,¨
¨.,~\^*#¶@                                          @¶#*^\~,.¨