,,,,,,-~;= =;~-,,,,,,
,,,,,-~;=% %=;~-,,,,,
,,,,-~;=%§ §%=;~-,,,,
,,,-~;=%§@ @§%=;~-,,,
,,-~;=%§@# #@§%=;~-,,
,-~;=%§@## # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ##@§%=;~-,
,,-~;=%§@# ; 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. ,¨,..¨.¨,.
¨,,.¨¨¨.~« «~.¨¨¨.,,¨
..¨¨,¨¨~»: :»~¨¨,¨¨..
,¨,¨,¨,=\* *\=,¨,¨,¨,
,....:»;*¤ ¤*;»:....,
¨¨¨,-=;%¤# #¤%;=-,¨¨¨