###§$†=--.                                          .--=†$§###
§§$†=---..                                          ..---=†$§§
###§$†=--.                                          .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.                                          .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.                                          .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.         # -------------------- #         .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.         = The Wolf pool Exists =         .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.         = In A Stale Timeline, =         .--=†$§###
§$$=-.....         =  Branched Way Back   =         .....-=$$§
###§$†=--.         =  When Kirugu vargir  =         .--=†$§###
#$†----...         =  Was Almost Barren,  =         ...----†$#
#§$=-.....  Comprised Mostly Of Rock And Arid Soil, .....-=$§#
###§$†=--.  And Plants Were Only Starting To Grow,  .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.         =        At All...     =         .--=†$§###
###§$†=--.         # -------------------- #         .--=†$§###
@¤:~¨¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨¨~:¤@
§$~,.,¨,,,     Misplaced Explorers Traverse The     ,,,¨,.,~$§
#$=~«.:-..   Landscape, Searching For A Way Back,   ..-:.«~=$#
#@@§%~,.,. 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¶£  ¨..-.;$£¤@
#£=\/~^,,¨   #@Where#They#Came,#@#@##@And#Then#@##  ¨,,^~/\=£#
##@&§%=«~¨   #####The#Feeling#Of#This=Knowledge;-   ¨~«=%§&@##
##@¤%%/-.,   «=Being « Stolen =~ From --» Them. .   ,.-/%%¤@##
##@¤£††~-.          -« ¨  -~~ .  ~.  ,«  =          .-~††£¤@##
#@&%~,¨¨..    -   ,~          :                ,    ..¨¨,~%&@#
#¤^=..,¨,,        .      .          .      %        ,,¨,..=^¤#
##¶&£^†~,.                                          .,~†^£&¶##
#£$:~^..,,                   .#,                    ,,..^~:$£#
#@$%*/†«,,                                          ,,«†/*%$@#
#@£¤£%=«-,                   And,                   ,-«=%£¤£@#
##§*%»-~¨¨                                          ¨¨~-»%*§##
#@£%†»,.,¨  Now The Reach Of The Pool Has Widened.  ¨,.,»†%£@#
#@£#§=\»~¨        Now Its Wolves See Further.       ¨~»\=§#£@#
##@£§$/«^¨                                          ¨^«/$§£@##
£@$%*=-,¨.                                          .¨,-=*%$@£
#§$=,.¨¨..                                          ..¨¨.,=$§#
#@#&§†=».,                                          ,.»=†§&#@#
###£$$*~,¨                                          ¨,~*$$£###