,,,£,,,,,, £,,£££,,,,
££,,,££££, ,,,,£,,£££
£,,£,,££,, £££,,,,,££
,,,,,,,,,, ,£,,£££,,£
,£££££££££ ,,,,,£,,,,
,,££££££££ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,£££,,,£££
,,,££££££, † 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. ££§&#£@¤#@
¤§§£@#@§@@ &§@#@@#£@§
#&&#§§¤@@# ¤£##&&§@&@
@@@@¤@@£§@ @§£&#@@§§#
§@£§£§#§¤£ £§&£@§@#@&
@£&§#¤¤£&# #&¤§&&&¤§¤