,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-; ;-~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~-;% %;-~,,,,,,
,,,,,~-;%$ $%;-~,,,,,
,,,,~-;%$¤ # -------------------- # ¤$%;-~,,,,
,,,~-;%$¤¶ ; 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. ¨¨.¨..,¨¨.
,¨,,,¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨,,,¨,
,¨,,¨¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨¨,,¨,
,,¨..,.,,. .,,.,..¨,,
.,.,,,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,,,.,.
,¨.¨..¨,,. .,,¨..¨.¨,