,§§§,,§§,§                                          ,,§§,,§,§,
§,§§,§,§,,                                          ,§,§,§§,§,
§,,§,§,§,§                                          §§,§,,§,§,
§,§§,§,§,,                                          ,§,§,§§,§,
§,,§,§,§,§                                          §§,§,,§,§,
§,§§,§,§,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,§,§,§§,§,
§,,§,§,§,§         † 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.       ,§¨§.£#,@¨
§.¨#,#.#.&                                          &@¨#.,§,#.
£¨@@¨£.@..                                          ,§.£.&&.&,
@.,@.#,#¨¤                                          §¤.£¨¨&,£¨
#.£§,§¨§,.                                          .&.#.£#,¤.
#.¨&.¤,&¨£                                          &&.#.,£,§¨