&..&..&&&. ..&&...&..
&&.&&.&..& &.&.&..&&.
&.&&.&&&.& &&&&&&.&.&
.&&.&&..&& &.....&&&&
&&.&&.&.&. &&....&...
&.&&.&&&&& # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # &.&...&&..
&&&.&&.... / 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. ,@¨.&,£¤@#
.§,&.¤§§¨, ,§@.#@§..,
,&£@£¤.¨@¨ @@,#§,.&¨¨
.@..,¨#.&& ¤,£&.&.£@.
.££¨,¨§&@, §§¤,@@#&.§
&@.§,.@¨,@ .,.¤@¨¨¨§§