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