&&*=-.....                                          .....-=*&&
@&&*=-....                                          ....-=*&&@
#@&&*=-...                                          ...-=*&&@#
##@&&*=-..                                          ..-=*&&@##
#@&&*=-...                                          ...-=*&&@#
@&&*=-....         # -------------------- #         ....-=*&&@
&&*=-.....         = 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.        ¨¨,,=:*&@@
§%§=«,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,«=§%§
&=^«,,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,,«^=&
¤%=\«^,,,¨                                          ¨,,,^«\=%¤
@§%*\»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»\*%§@
##£$$^«~,.                                          .,~«^$$£##