.....§§§.. §§§.§.§..§
§....§.§§. §.§....§..
.§.....§§§ ...§....§.
..§....§.§ ....§....§
§..§.....§ §....§....
.§..§....§ # «««««««««««««««««««« # §§....§...
..§..§.... † 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. .&£§..,.¤¨
,,.,@,¨¤,, ¨§.&¤.,,.£
¤¨¨,,§.¨£¨ ¨.¨&£§..¨,
.£.,,,&,¨& ,,,§¨¤#¨,.
¨¨£¨..¨#.¨ ¨.,.,@§#..
,¨,¤,.,,£¨ ..¨.,@¨§&.