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