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