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