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