§%%^-:,,,,                                          ,,,,:-^%%§
#§%%^-:,,,                                          ,,,:-^%%§#
##§%%^-:,,                                          ,,:-^%%§##
###§%%^-:,                                          ,:-^%%§###
##§%%^-:,,                                          ,,:-^%%§##
#§%%^-:,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,:-^%%§#
§%%^-:,,,,         ^ 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.       .,¨.~==*¤¶
§%==~,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,~==%§
£=*-:...¨,                                          ,¨...:-*=£
===~¨..,..                                          ..,..¨~===
=«^.¨¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨¨.^«=
~.¨.,.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.,.¨.~