####@§\=^¨                                          ¨^=\§@####
###@§\=^¨¨                                          ¨¨^=\§@###
##@§\=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=\§@##
#@§\=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=\§@#
@§\=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=\§@
§\=^¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=\§
@§\=^¨¨¨¨¨         \ 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.        ,,^~\^#£##
##@#&%^»-,                                          ,-»^%&#@##
###£†*».,.                                          .,.»*†£###
#¶#$\»,..¨                                          ¨..,»\$#¶#
£#§=~~,,.,                                          ,.,,~~=§#£
#§†--¨.,..                                          ..,.¨--†§#