¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§         = 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.       .£,&.¨§¨&.
£¨#,&,¨¤,¤                                          .#,#,¤&,§,
#¨¤,&¨##.¨                                          .&,@¨.§,@¨
#.£¨£,¨¤.&                                          ¨#,§.##.#.
&,¤,¤¨§§¨.                                          ,&¨£,,#¨@,
¤.£¨@,,§¨@                                          ¨£.¤.&#.@,