=,........ ........,=
,......... .........,
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... # ==================== # ..........
.......... † 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. ¨.¨,~=†^%@
§$*~,.¨,¨¨ Now Its Wolves See Further. ¨¨,¨.,~*$§
*:«..,..,¨ ¨,..,..«:*
†~,¨..¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨..¨,~†
~,..¨.,¨., ,.¨,.¨..,~
,¨,,,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,,,¨,
¨,¨..,.,,, ,,,.,..¨,¨