#@%==«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«==%@#
@#@%==«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«==%@#@
#@#@%==«~¨                                          ¨~«==%@#@#
@#@%==«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«==%@#@
#@%==«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«==%@#
@%==«~¨¨¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨¨¨~«==%@
#@%==«~¨¨¨         = 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#    ¨¨.,-/†§&¶
@@§£=;=-,. #$Of§¤Exactly£@How£They¤Had@Traveled,&#  .,-=;=£§@@
##@#%%:«,.  #§Of&The#Way£Home#@To#The@Time£From@@   .,«:%%#@##
@£@&=†~,.,  #@Where#They@Came,#######And@Then@@##   ,.,~†=&@£@
££%%:».,.,   #####The#Feeling#Of#This%Knowledge/=   ,.,.»:%%££
&&%=~,.¨,¨   =-Being » Stolen ~« From =~~ Them. .   ¨,¨.,~=%&&
@&§%=~:.,.          ~= ¨  -«« ¨  -.  ^-  ~          .,.:~=%§&@
#@@§§^«-.,    ^   :.          :                ,    ,.-«^§§@@#
#@@£%^;«-¨        .      .          .      *        ¨-«;^%£@@#
@@£%^†~:,¨                                          ¨,:~†^%£@@
@£$*\~..,,                   ,#¨                    ,,..~\*$£@
£%*=-^.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.^-=*%£
#§£%†=^¨.,                   And,                   ,.¨^=†%£§#
#¶#$*^»-.,                                          ,.-»^*$#¶#
###¤¤*:«^.  Now The Reach Of The Pool Has Widened.  .^«:*¤¤###
@#££=†-^.¨       Now Its Wolves See Further.        ¨.^-†=££#@
£§£§/-~,.,                                          ,.,~-/§£§£
§¤§;-,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,-;§¤§
@@¤*^~,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,~^*¤@@
#@§&**»-¨,                                          ,¨-»**&§@#
#@##%$;~^.                                          .^~;$%##@#