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