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