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