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