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