¨¨¨¨¨¨~«†*                                          *†«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«†*$                                          $*†«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«†*$#                                          #$*†«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«†*$#@                                          @#$*†«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«†*$#@#                                          #@#$*†«~¨¨
¨~«†*$#@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@#$*†«~¨
¨¨~«†*$#@#         † 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.       @$^~:....,
,.¨,,,.»\%                                          %\».,,,¨.,
¨,¨¨¨.¨,=;                                          ;=,¨.¨¨¨,¨
¨,,¨,¨.~†*                                          *†~.¨,¨,,¨
.,,.¨,-^*§                                          §*^-,¨.,,.
,,.,,=;$¤@                                          @¤$;=,,.,,