§,§,§§,§§§ §§§§§,§,,,
§§§§§,§§,, §,,,,§§§,,
§,,,,§§,§, §§,,,§,,§,
§§,,,§,§§§ §,§,,§§,§§
,,§,,§§§,, §§§§,§,§§,
,,§§,§,,§, # «««««««««««««««««««« # ,,,,§§§§,§
§,§,§§§,§§ \ 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. ¨@..@£¨,§,
¨&,,.@,£.# £&¤¨§.&.#§
#¤£¨¨&&#@£ §,,#§@@@§,
§.¨§¨§..,. ¤¤.&,.¨.,¤
,¤.##§#¨.¨ @.§&&¨,¨.¤
@##§¨.,¤,. &£§.,§¨¨.@