##¶¤%%†~:.                                          .:~†%%¤¶##
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¶¶%%%%†~:.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .:~†%%%%¶¶
¶%%%%%†~:.         † 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.  .:~†§%¤@#@
#£$^=--,,¨        Now Its Wolves See Further.       ¨,,--=^$£#
@@:,¨¨,,..                                          ..,,¨¨,:@@
£†%†~¨,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,¨~†%†£
£§§£=«¨,,,                                          ,,,¨«=£§§£
##@§£=;»:¨                                          ¨:»;=£§@##
#¤§*$=,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,=$*§¤#