@@&*%:«,,,                                          ,,,«:%*&@@
#@@&*%:«,,                                          ,,«:%*&@@#
@@&*%:«,,,                                          ,,,«:%*&@@
@&*%:«,,,,                                          ,,,,«:%*&@
&*%:«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«:%*&
@&*%:«,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,«:%*&@
@@&*%:«,,,         : 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.       ...:»\*£#£
#$††«:¨...                                          ...¨:«††$#
¶#£†/=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=/†£#¶
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#@@£%$=-,¨                                          ¨,-=$%£@@#
@#@@=\~,,¨                                          ¨,,~\=@@#@