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