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