#@&$*†=.,,                                          ,,.=†*$&@#
##@&$*†=.,                                          ,.=†*$&@##
#@&$*†=.,,                                          ,,.=†*$&@#
@&$*†=.,,,                                          ,,,.=†*$&@
&$*†=.,,,,                                          ,,,,.=†*$&
@&$*†=.,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,.=†*$&@
#@&$*†=.,,         † The Wolf pool Exists †         ,,.=†*$&@#
##@&$*†=.,         † In A Stale Timeline, †         ,.=†*$&@##
#@&$*†=.,,         †  Branched Way Back   †         ,,.=†*$&@#
@&$*†=.,,,         †  When Kirugu vargir  †         ,,,.=†*$&@
&$*†=.,,,,         †  Was Almost Barren,  †         ,,,,.=†*$&
@&$*†=.,,, Comprised Mostly Of Rock And Arid Soil,  ,,,.=†*$&@
#@&$*†=.,,  And Plants Were Only Starting To Grow,  ,,.=†*$&@#
##@&$*†=.,         †        At All...     †         ,.=†*$&@##
#@&$*†=.,,         # ==================== #         ,,.=†*$&@#
@£&^†~:,,.                                          .,,:~†^&£@
&%$*~-.¨¨¨     Misplaced Explorers Traverse The     ¨¨¨.-~*$%&
#£$%:~,,,¨   Landscape, Searching For A Way Back,   ¨,,,~:%$£#
#@#%*†~-.,  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.       ¨.¨,~\$$£#
@$=†«,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,«†=$@
#£$%=-.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.-=%$£#
##&¤§†»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»†§¤&##
###£&*†-^,                                          ,^-†*&£###
#@§&§^~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~^§&§@#