¨¨¨¨~«*$$&                                          &$$*«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«*$$                                          $$*«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*$                                          $*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*                                          *«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«                                          «~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         * the wolf pool exists *         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         * in a stale timeline, *         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         *  branched way back   *         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~         *  when kirugu vargir  *         ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«         *  was almost barren,  *         «~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, *«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*$  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.       -.¨,,,.¨,.
...¨¨..¨^-                                          -^¨..¨¨...
.,,¨,¨.~»:                                          :»~.¨,¨,,.
,.,,¨,,=;§                                          §;=,,¨,,.,
,¨....»\%§                                          §%\»....¨,
,,¨,~=††$¤                                          ¤$††=~,¨,,