,,@@@@@@@, ,,,,,,,,,@
,,,@@@@@,, @@@@@@@@,,
@@,,@@@,,, @@@@@@@,,@
@,,,,@,,@@ @@@@@@,,,,
,,@@,,,,,@ @@@@@,,@@,
@,,,,@@@,, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,@@@,,,,,,
,,@@,,@,,, \ 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. #@££¤§
@#£&@@¤@£# £§¤&&£§§#&
##£#@#&¤ ¤§§§#§¤@@&
@§£&&@¤£&¤ §£§@£#£@
§§@@#¤££@@ @¤¤¤&££¤£§
¤@&§&&@£§@ ¤£§#&§@§§&