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