.##.....## ..###.....
.###....## ..#.##....
.#.##...#. ....###...
...###.... #...#.##..
...#.##... ##....###.
.....###.. # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # .##...#.##
#....#.##. : 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. ,#.#@¨¨.&¨
&@£¨,,¨¤,# ,¨,¤#§¨.¨.
¤,££,,¨.,# ..¨&,&@¨,,
¨,&¤¤¨¨¨¨# .,..,@@&¨,
¨¨£,@§,,.¨ #,,.¨¤¨@#¨
.,¨,£@§.¨, @£¨,¨¨¨&&¤