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