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