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