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