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