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