&*†»^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^»†*&
*†»^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^»†*
†»^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^»†
»^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^»
†»^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^»†
*†»^,,,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,,,^»†*
&*†»^,,,,,         † 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.        ,,.¨-~^†£§
$%:~~¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨~~:%$
§:~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~:§
:~.¨,,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,,¨.~:
»:,¨¨¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨¨¨,:»
:~:,¨..¨,.                                          .,¨..¨,:~: