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