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