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