###§&§;=:,                                          ,:=;§&§###
##§&§;=:,,                                          ,,:=;§&§##
#§&§;=:,,,                                          ,,,:=;§&§#
§&§;=:,,,,                                          ,,,,:=;§&§
&§;=:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:=;§&
§;=:,,,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,,,:=;§
&§;=:,,,,,         ; 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†=   ..,,»^$$£#
#££@*=-,,,   «=BEING ~ STOLEN -- FROM -~» THEM. ¨   ,,,-=*@££#
##£#&§^~:,          «« .  ~~« ¨  =.  .~  ~          ,:~^§&#£##
#@#*^\-,,¨    :   ,.          ,                ,    ¨,,-\^*#@#
#§@%=~,.,¨        .      ,          ,      *        ¨,.,~=%@§#
£&$:-,,.,.                                          .,.,,-:$&£
%%\=,,¨¨..                   ¨#¨                    ..¨¨,,=\%%
^*=-.,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,.-=*^
£=\»,¨.,,.                   AND,                   .,,.¨,»\=£
§$$/~~¨...                                          ...¨~~/$$§
¶§*$\»^,,,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,,,^»\$*§¶
#£¤§*\»..,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,..»\*§¤£#
##£#&§;~-,                                          ,-~;§&#£##
##¤§%/«^¨,                                          ,¨^«/%§¤##
££*§*«~.,.                                          .,.~«*§*££
§¤§†--,.¨.                                          .¨.,--†§¤§
*$^-,..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..,-^$*