¨¨¨¨~==^*&                                          &*^==~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==^*                                          *^==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~==^                                          ^==~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~==                                          ==~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=                                          =~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~         # ==================== #         ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=         = 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.       .¨,..¨,¨..
,¨..,..¨~-                                          -~¨..,..¨,
¨.¨.¨¨¨^-*                                          *-^¨¨¨.¨.¨
¨¨,,.¨:~*†                                          †*~:¨.,,¨¨
.¨,.¨-==%$                                          $%==-¨.,¨.
.¨,.~-\$%&                                          &%$\-~.,¨.