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