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