#¨##¨##¨## ##¨##¨¨¨#¨
##¨##¨##¨¨ ¨##¨#¨¨###
¨##¨##¨#¨¨ #¨###¨#¨¨¨
#¨##¨###¨# ##¨¨###¨¨¨
##¨##¨¨##¨ ¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨#
¨##¨#¨#¨## # «««««««««««««««««««« # ####¨##¨#¨
#¨######¨¨ ^ 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. ¨,&¨#&,¨£¤
,&¨,.,¤¤¨. ,&§&.§,§,,
#£¨,¨§¨£., §¨.#@£#@,.
,£,.&£&§,, #.@.,¨,£.#
§&.§,¨,£.& ¤@¤.¨,@§&@
¨¤&£..@&#. .,#,¨&,...