##&==-~...                                          ...~-==&##
#&==-~....                                          ....~-==&#
&==-~.....                                          .....~-==&
==-~......                                          ......~-==
=-~.......                                          .......~-=
-~........         # -------------------- #         ........~-
=-~.......         = 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.  ¨,~/†&@@@#
#£@$%=~^,.        Now Its Wolves See Further.       .,^~=%$@£#
#&$%:~:¨¨.                                          .¨¨:~:%$&#
#%†*~..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..~*†%#
%%=»:...,,                                          ,,...:»=%%
%\~,¨,..¨,                                          ,¨..,¨,~\%
†=,,.,.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.,.,,=†