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