,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,. .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.» ».,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.»= =».,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.»=$ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # $=».,,,,,,
,,,,,.»=$$ = the wolf pool exists = $$=».,,,,,
,,,,.»=$$¤ = in a stale timeline, = ¤$$=».,,,,
,,,.»=$$¤@ = branched way back = @¤$$=».,,,
,,.»=$$¤@@ = when kirugu vargir = @@¤$$=».,,
,.»=$$¤@@# = was almost barren, = #@@¤$$=».,
,,.»=$$¤@@ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, @@¤$$=».,,
,,,.»=$$¤@ and plants were only starting to grow, @¤$$=».,,,
,,,,.»=$$¤ = at all... = ¤$$=».,,,,
,,,,,.»=$$ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # $$=».,,,,,
¨.¨¨¨¨-~/† †/~-¨¨¨¨.¨
.,,,.,.:«; 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. »:¨.¨.¨,,¨
..,,,,..¨. .¨..,,,,..
¨¨¨,..,¨,, ,,¨,..,¨¨¨
...,¨¨,¨., ,.¨,¨¨,...
,,,..,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,..,,,
¨¨.¨,¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨,¨.¨¨