§..§...... .......§§§
.....§§§§§ §§§§§§..§§
.§§§..§§§. §§§§§.....
..§....§.. §§§§..§§§§
....§§...§ §§§....§§.
§§§....§.. # ==================== # §§..§§....
.§..§§.... * 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. ¤¤§&¤£&&
@@@#&¤§§§¤ #£¤@#£§¤
@£££&££§§£ @@#¤¤£&&&£
#£@##¤## @#¤##§¤¤¤¤
§#§###§@#& &@&@¤£§@£#
£££&@####@ @#&@@@