¨¨¨¨¨^~%##                                          ##%~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^^~;%&#                                          #&%;~^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~%%&¶¶                                          ¶¶&%%~¨¨¨¨
¨^~;%&#¶##                                          ##¶#&%;~^¨
¨^~;%&#¶##                                          ##¶#&%;~^¨
¨^~;%&#¶##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##¶#&%;~^¨
¨¨¨^^;%%#¶         ; 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.       @##%//:~,.
..¨,,-\*%§                                          §%*\-,,¨..
..¨.,.;@££                                          ££@;.,.¨..
,,~/$$@£@#                                          #@£@$$/~,,
,.=^%$£###                                          ###£$%^=.,
,¨¨,,-=^§#                                          #§^=-,,¨¨,