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