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