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