¨¨.~~†*%¤¤                                          ¤¤%*†~~.¨¨
¨.~†*%¤#@#                                          #@#¤%*†~.¨
¨¨¨¨.~*¤¤#                                          #¤¤*~.¨¨¨¨
¨.~†*%¤###                                          ###¤%*†~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*¤                                          ¤*~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.†**%¤         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¤%**†.¨¨¨¨
¨.~†*%¤#@#         † 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. ¨   ##@@$%;»,.
,,¨-=†*§@&          =- ,  »=- ,  -¨  :~  »          &@§*†=-¨,,
¨:-†;==^^#    ~   ~,          -                ,    #^^==;†-:¨
¨~=/^%@@##        .      .          ¨      ^        ##@@%^/=~¨
¨.«†§&£@##                                          ##@£&§†«.¨
¨,~^†*&###                    .#.                   ###&*†^~,¨
,¨,.«=*§@@                                          @@§*=«.,¨,
¨,»=^¤§###                   and,                   ###§¤^=»,¨
,¨,,^/%$&#                                          #&$%/^,,¨,
,-«^†=†£##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##£†=†^«-,
,.-†^*¤@##        now its wolves see further.       ##@¤*^†-.,
¨¨~~=%$§*#                                          #*§$%=~~¨¨
,:»†§¤%&&@                                          @&&%¤§†»:,
.¨¨=\==†*§                                          §*†==\=¨¨.
¨~=\*¤#£##                                          ##£#¤*\=~¨
,¨..»/**%§                                          §%**/»..¨,