¨¨¨-«^$£##                                          ##£$^«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«^$£#                                          #£$^«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«^$£                                          £$^«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^$                                          $^«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^                                          ^«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^  branched way back   ^         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-         ^  was almost barren,  ^         -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^  and plants were only starting to grow,  ^«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^$         ^        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.        ..,¨¨,¨.,¨
¨,¨.¨.,¨,.                                          .,¨,.¨.¨,¨
¨,¨,..,¨^~                                          ~^¨,..,¨,¨
.,...,,-~\                                          \~-,,...,.
.¨,¨,¨,»\§                                          §\»,¨,¨,¨.
¨¨,,¨~-/^£                                          £^/-~¨,,¨¨