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