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