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