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