@***~:....                                          ....:~***@
@@@§*%*~:.                                          .:~*%*§@@@
§****~~...                                          ...~~****§
@@@§*%*~:.                                          .:~*%*§@@@
#@@§*%*~:.                                          .:~*%*§@@#
§%~::.....         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .....::~%§
#@@§*%*~:.         * 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.        ,-~;=§£¤£#
###&&*;~^.                                          .^~;*&&###
###§£^:«,¨                                          ¨,«:^£§###
£§¤¤:†,,¨,                                          ,¨,,†:¤¤§£
¶¤:»~,-.,.                                          .,.-,~»:¤¶
@@£@§=^~.,                                          ,.~^=§@£@@