####@$/«~.                                          .~«/$@####
###@$/«~..                                          ..~«/$@###
##@$/«~...                                          ...~«/$@##
###@$/«~..                                          ..~«/$@###
####@$/«~.                                          .~«/$@####
###@$/«~..         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ..~«/$@###
##@$/«~...         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         ...~«/$@##
###@$/«~..         / IN A STALE TIMELINE, /         ..~«/$@###
####@$/«~.         /  BRANCHED WAY BACK   /         .~«/$@####
###@$/«~..         /  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  /         ..~«/$@###
##@$/«~...         /  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  /         ...~«/$@##
###@$/«~..  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ..~«/$@###
####@$/«~.  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  .~«/$@####
###@$/«~..         /        AT ALL...     /         ..~«/$@###
##@$/«~...         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ...~«/$@##
#@§*$=«:¨,                                          ,¨:«=$*§@#
###&*§^~:¨     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##@#   ..,-=†$¤@#
¶#**/»:,,,   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE:-   ,,,:»/**#¶
###¤§^--¨.   ~«BEING = STOLEN -= FROM »-~ THEM. ,   .¨--^§¤###
####%§:«,¨          -~ .  «-~ ,  ~¨  ^-  =          ¨,«:§%####
#@&§*=~,¨.    ,   ~-          ,                ,    .¨,~=*§&@#
#£$*†«:,,,        ¨      ,          .      *        ,,,:«†*$£#
#@£§$:~:¨,                                          ,¨:~:$§£@#
###@%%=»:.                   ,#,                    .:»=%%@###
##£&%;-,,,                                          ,,,-;%&£##
##&§*=.¨¨,                   AND,                   ,¨¨.=*§&##
#@#%*\~.,,                                          ,,.~\*%#@#
#@@££^/~~,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,~~/^££@@#
#@#%*\».,¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨,.»\*%#@#
£@$=*»,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,»*=$@£
@#&%*\~.¨,                                          ,¨.~\*%&#@
#@@§£^:=.,                                          ,.=:^£§@@#
@@@£^\~-.¨                                          ¨.-~\^£@@@
#@$$\~:¨¨.                                          .¨¨:~\$$@#