..&.&.&&.& ....&&.&&&
&.....&&.& ....&&.&.&
&&....&&.. &...&&...&
.&&...&&&. &&..&&&..&
.&&&..&.&& .&&.&.&&..
.&.&&...&& # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # .&&...&&&.
...&&&..&. † 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. .§¨§#¨¨¨#£
§£¨,,£¤#¨. ..,&¤#¨.@,
#£@¨.#.&£. &¨.§.@@¨,.
&.¤&...¤¤# §§,.,@¤¤¨.
..@¨.£,& .£§¨¨@.£&,
..£,#§..¨£ ¨@&§.¨.§£&