,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, † 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. .¨,,.¨,.,=
,¨..¨,¨.,. .,.¨,¨..¨,
¨..,,..,,, ,,,..,,..¨
..¨,,.¨,.. ..,¨.,,¨..
,.,..¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨..,.,
¨,¨¨,,,..¨ ¨..,,,¨¨,¨