§§¨¨§§§§§¨                                          ¨§§§§§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§§§§¨                                          §¨§§§§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨§§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨         # -------------------- #         §¨§¨§§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨¨§¨         * 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.       &.§.§#.&¤,
£§¨¤¨@¨¨£¨                                          ¤.§¨¨&¨,@.
¨@¨#.¤¨#@¨                                          #.§.@£,#¤,
#£¨§.@..@,                                          ¤,&..@¨,#¨
.§.&,¤,&#¨                                          £¨§.&§.@§¨
§¤.&,§¨¨¤.                                          §¨¤,¨@.,@¨