,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, * 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. ¨~-^*%§@##
#@@@†^~:,, ,,:~^†@@@#
##£%=-,.., ,..,-=%£##
¤¤^*-.¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨.-*^¤¤
%†*~-,¨,¨. .¨,¨,-~*†%
§\~,.¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨.,~\§