####$†*=,,                                          ,,=*†$####
###$†*=,,,                                          ,,,=*†$###
##$†*=,,,,                                          ,,,,=*†$##
#$†*=,,,,,                                          ,,,,,=*†$#
$†*=,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,=*†$
†*=,,,,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,,,,=*†
*=,,,,,,,,         * 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.        ¨,¨¨,«\%&#
#££^^~,¨..                                          ..¨,~^^££#
##@§§;~,.,                                          ,.,~;§§@##
###@£%/~..                                          ..~/%£@###
##£§*/-:¨¨                                          ¨¨:-/*§£##
@@*%*-~¨.,                                          ,.¨~-*%*@@