,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=\ \=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=\* *\=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=\*¤ ¤*\=,,,,,,
,,,,,=\*¤¶ # ==================== # ¶¤*\=,,,,,
,,,,=\*¤¶@ \ 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. ##@&^^-:,¨
,.,~=^%£¶# #¶£%^=~,.,
.¨,.,»=*£¶ ¶£*=»,.,¨.
..¨,¨^=**# #**=^¨,¨..
.,,¨¨,~-*% %*-~,¨¨,,.
¨,¨¨...~~/ /~~...¨¨,¨