#§$†^=,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,=^†$§#
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^ 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.       ¨.,,,¨,¨.,
,¨¨,¨..,¨.                                          .¨,..¨,¨¨,
~:,¨,..¨,¨                                          ¨,¨..,¨,:~
=~~¨.,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,.¨~~=
§^».,.,,,,                                          ,,,,.,.»^§
§§\«:¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨:«\§§