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