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