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