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