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