£$*\~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~\*$£
@£$*\~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~\*$£@
#@£$*\~~¨¨ ¨¨~~\*$£@#
##@£$*\~~¨ ¨~~\*$£@##
#@£$*\~~¨¨ ¨¨~~\*$£@#
@£$*\~~¨¨¨ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¨¨¨~~\*$£@
£$*\~~¨¨¨¨ \ the wolf pool exists \ ¨¨¨¨~~\*$£
$*\~~¨¨¨¨¨ \ in a stale timeline, \ ¨¨¨¨¨~~\*$
*\~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ \ 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. ¨^«^§£&@##
@@£$%^».., ,..»^%$£@@
¶££$†~-,,¨ ¨,,-~†$££¶
£¤$†».¨¨¨. .¨¨¨.»†$¤£
£^†-:.¨,,, ,,,¨.:-†^£
$=«....¨,. .,¨....«=$