¨¨¨¨,=:*%§                                          §%*:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:*%§#                                          #§%*:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:*%§##                                          ##§%*:=,¨¨
¨,=:*%§###                                          ###§%*:=,¨
¨¨,=:*%§##                                          ##§%*:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:*%§#         # ==================== #         #§%*:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:*%§         : 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.        %**»:¨¨.¨¨
¨,.¨^»†*@@                                          @@*†»^¨.,¨
¨,,--*%§§@                                          @§§%*--,,¨
.¨~~\%$###                                          ###$%\~~¨.
.,=/=%¤@##                                          ##@¤%=/=,.
,,^~=*$&##                                          ##&$*=~^,,