#£=†»-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-»†=£#
¶#£=†»-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-»†=£#¶
#¶#£=†»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»†=£#¶#
##¶#£=†»-¨                                          ¨-»†=£#¶##
#¶#£=†»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»†=£#¶#
¶#£=†»-¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨-»†=£#¶
#£=†»-¨¨¨¨         † 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.  .¨..¨¨~=:^
$%:«,¨...,       now its wolves see further.        ,...¨,«:%$
¤%**-^¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨^-**%¤
##$%\»:,,,                                          ,,,:»\%$##
#¶£&$/«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«/$&£¶#
##@££==~,¨                                          ¨,~==££@##
#@#$=;~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~;=$#@#