%~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~%
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
%~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~%
¤%~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~%¤
£¤%~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~%¤£
@£¤%~,¨¨¨¨ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¨¨¨¨,~%¤£@
@@£¤%~,¨¨¨ = 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, ¨,¨:=*%¤##
#£%$-:,.,. .,.,:-$%£#
&$†~,,,... now the reach of the pool has widened. ...,,,~†$&
$^-^¨¨.,¨¨ now its wolves see further. ¨¨,.¨¨^-^$
%~^..,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,..^~%
~:¨.,...., ,....,.¨:~
†~~.,,..,. .,..,,.~~†
¤†«,,...¨, ,¨...,,«†¤
@&%~,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,~%&@