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