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