#§&%;~,...                                          ...,~;%&§#
§&%;~,....                                          ....,~;%&§
&%;~,.....                                          .....,~;%&
%;~,......                                          ......,~;%
&%;~,.....                                          .....,~;%&
§&%;~,....         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ....,~;%&§
#§&%;~,...         ; 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.       ,.,~=§&¤£#
£@*%=~^,¨,                                          ,¨,^~=%*@£
#§§^«:¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨:«^§§#
&§;=~,,..,                                          ,..,,~=;§&
%†~^,..¨.,                                          ,.¨..,^~†%
%%*=.¨¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨¨.=*%%