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