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