##¶¤§†;=.. ..=;†§¤¶##
##¶¤§†;=.. ..=;†§¤¶##
¶§§§;==... ...==;§§§¶
#¤¤§§†;=.. ..=;†§§¤¤#
##¶¤§†;=.. ..=;†§¤¶##
##¶¤§†;=.. # ==================== # ..=;†§¤¶##
###¶¤†;=.. ; 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, ..»^%$@@##
#@¶#£§:~,¨ ¨,~:§£#¶@#
#@£#&=;»-. Now The Reach Of The Pool Has Widened. .-»;=&#£@#
##¶§£%:»:. Now Its Wolves See Further. .:»:%£§¶##
#¶$†%~,,¨. .¨,,~%†$¶#
@**\~:¨¨¨. .¨¨¨:~\**@
##@@§$:~., ,.~:$§@@##
£%=~¨¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨¨~=%£
##@§&=:-~. .~-:=&§@##