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