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