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