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