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