..§....... §....§...§
§..§...... .§....§...
.§..§..... ..§....§..
..§..§.... ...§....§.
...§..§... §...§....§
§...§..§.. # -------------------- # .§...§....
.§...§..§. : 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. &.,¤¨¨,@¨,
,..#¨,,§¨, ¨#¨,&,¨,§¨
¨,¨,#.,,£. ¨,&,.£¨,¨&
&..,¨#,¨,£ ¨,.§..£,,,
,£.,¨.§.¨¨ ¨,,¨&¨,#¨,
,.@....@,¨ ....,¤,¨@,