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