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