,,,,,,»;†@ @†;»,,,,,,
,,,,,»;†@# #@†;»,,,,,
,,,,»;†@#@ @#@†;»,,,,
,,,»;†@#@# #@#@†;»,,,
,,»;†@#@## ##@#@†;»,,
,,,»;†@#@# # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # #@#@†;»,,,
,,,,»;†@#@ ; 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. §:-~¨...¨,
..¨¨,.,-~= =~-,.,¨¨..
¨,¨.,.¨¨~- -~¨¨.,.¨,¨
¨.,.¨,,¨¨~ ~¨¨,,¨.,.¨
,.¨.¨.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.¨.¨.,
¨..,.¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨.,..¨