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