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