¨¨,~†=¤###                                          ###¤=†~,¨¨
¨,~†=¤####                                          ####¤=†~,¨
¨¨,~†=¤###                                          ###¤=†~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~†=¤##                                          ##¤=†~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†=¤#                                          #¤=†~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~†=¤##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##¤=†~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~†=¤###         † 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.        @#@§;».,,.
¨,¨,.«\^£#                                          #£^\«.,¨,¨
,..~»/*§@#                                          #@§*/»~..,
..--;*£###                                          ###£*;--..
.,=;%£¶###                                          ###¶£%;=,.
¨.~~†*£@@#                                          #@@£*†~~.¨