......~=*†                                          †*=~......
.......~=*                                          *=~.......
........~=                                          =~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
.........~         # ==================== #         ~.........
........~=         * 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.        ##§$\«..,,
.,,.-=;%&@                                          @&%;=-.,,.
¨..,,.~;$$                                          $$;~.,,..¨
¨¨,.,.,-=%                                          %=-,.,.,¨¨
¨¨¨,¨¨.,«*                                          *«,.¨¨,¨¨¨
¨¨,.,,¨.--                                          --.¨,,.,¨¨