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