##¶&$%;-..                                          ..-;%$&¶##
##¶&$%;-..                                          ..-;%$&¶##
###¶&%;-..                                          ..-;%&¶###
&&&%%---..                                          ..---%%&&&
¶¶&&$%;-..                                          ..-;%$&&¶¶
&%;-......         # -------------------- #         ......-;%&
##¶&$%;-..         ; The Wolf pool Exists ;         ..-;%$&¶##
##¶&$%;-..         ; In A Stale Timeline, ;         ..-;%$&¶##
##¶&$%;-..         ;  Branched Way Back   ;         ..-;%$&¶##
¶$$$%-....         ;  When Kirugu vargir  ;         ....-%$$$¶
###¶&$%-..         ;  Was Almost Barren,  ;         ..-%$&¶###
##¶&$%;-..  Comprised Mostly Of Rock And Arid Soil, ..-;%$&¶##
##¶&$%;-..  And Plants Were Only Starting To Grow,  ..-;%$&¶##
#&&&$%;-..         ;        At All...     ;         ..-;%$&&&#
##¶&$%;-..         # -------------------- #         ..-;%$&¶##
##££%==«,¨                                          ¨,«==%££##
###@$*:=,,     Misplaced Explorers Traverse The     ,,=:*$@###
####¤=^-^¨   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.       ¨,-*=$§###
##@££§†«-,                                          ,-«†§££@##
@@@%†^=,,.                                          .,,=^†%@@@
#£@$=«¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨«=$@£#
##¶#%*†~-.                                          .-~†*%#¶##
##@£§*=«-¨                                          ¨-«=*§£@##