¶#†=,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,=†#¶
##†^=,,,,,                                          ,,,,,=^†##
¶%^:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:^%¶
##%%†^=::,                                          ,::=^†%%##
##¶#%†^=:,                                          ,:=^†%#¶##
##¶#%†^=:,         # ==================== #         ,:=^†%#¶##
#††^^=:,,,         ^ 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.       ,,,,¨.,=£¶
@%*»,..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..,»*%@
&%«.,¨....                                          ....¨,.«%&
###¤&%†~.¨                                          ¨.~†%&¤###
##@@&§†»,¨                                          ¨,»†§&@@##
&£^:.,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,.:^£&