,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-\ \-~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~-\* *\-~,,,,,,
,,,,,~-\*$ $*\-~,,,,,
,,,,~-\*$§ # -------------------- # §$*\-~,,,,
,,,~-\*$§# \ 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. .¨,,¨¨.,,¨
,,,..¨¨,., ,.,¨¨..,,,
,.¨.¨,.¨.. ..¨.,¨.¨.,
..,,.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.,,..
,.¨.¨¨..., ,...¨¨.¨.,
,...,,..¨. .¨..,,...,