§§,§§,,§,§                                          §,§§,§,§,§
,§,§§§,,,§                                          ,,§§,,,,,§
,,,§,§§,,§                                          ,,§§§,,,,,
,,,,,§§§,,                                          ,,§,§§,,,,
,,,,,§,§§,                                          ,,,,§§§,,,
,,,,,,,§§§         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         §,,,§,§§,,
,,,,,,,§,§         † 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.       ¨§£.¨,&¨£@
£.¨..¨¨¨¨£                                          .£££,..,££
£§,.¨.¨,.,                                          ¨§,@£¨,.&¨
§¤@¨.¨.,..                                          ..,&££¨¨,.
¤.&§¨,.¨¨.                                          ,,¨#,£&,,.
..§&§,,,.,                                          §,.¨,§#@,,