¨¨¨##¨##¨# ¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#
#¨¨##¨##¨# ¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨
¨#¨##¨##¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨
¨¨¨##¨###¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨##
#¨¨##¨#¨## #¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##
##¨##¨¨¨## # -------------------- # ##¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨
##¨###¨¨#¨ * 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. ¤,§¤.,..¤§
§@¨.¨#¤¤,¨ ,,@#£..,#,
¤#§,¨¤.&¤, ,,£¨&@¨.,¨
&.¤#..¨£@¤ §¨..@#&¨¨¨
¨¨¤§@¨¨@¨@ ¤#..@,#@,,
¨¨&,@§,¨.@ ¨¤§..¨&§#.