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