%=»~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~»=%
=»~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~»=
%=»~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~»=%
%%=»~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~»=%%
@%%=»~,,,,                                          ,,,,~»=%%@
#@%%=»~,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,~»=%%@#
##@%%=»~,,         = 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. ,   ¨¨¨¨¨-~;§*
§:=,¨¨,¨,,          «- ¨  =«= .  ~¨  :=  -          ,,¨,¨¨,=:§
;»~.,.,...    ,   .,          ,                ¨    ...,.,.~»;
$\«.,¨.¨.,        ¨      .          ¨      =        ,.¨.¨,.«\$
§**-,.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.,-**§
#$†/=,¨,¨,                   ,#.                    ,¨,¨,=/†$#
#@¤*†»,,..                                          ..,,»†*¤@#
#@¶%*:~-¨,                   And,                   ,¨-~:*%¶@#
##@@§^†-..                                          ..-†^§@@##
#@£&%:=,¨¨  Now The Reach Of The Pool Has Widened.  ¨¨,=:%&£@#
##*^†«:¨..       Now Its Wolves See Further.        ..¨:«†^*##
#%$/--,.¨,                                          ,¨.,--/$%#
*†/»,¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨,»/†*
%\~.¨,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,¨.~\%
/~-¨¨,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,¨¨-~/
*;~,.¨.,,¨                                          ¨,,.¨.,~;*