§.§.§.§.§§ §§§.§.§§..
§§§§§§§§§. ...§§§§.§.
§........§ ...§...§§§
.§.......§ ...§§..§..
.§§......§ §..§.§.§§.
.§.§.....§ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # §§.§§§§§.§
§§§§§....§ ; 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. @&&.¤¨¨.¤,
..¨¨.@§¨¨§ #¨¨¤§@,.§@
#.¨..§¨£¨& ¤#.#,¨§.£¨
§#.,,@@##& ¤,¤£&,£&#@
,¨@¨,#.¨.. ¨£§..@¤,,¨
.¨£@.§@,¨¨ ,§.§¨@.#¨.