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