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