@#††=.....                                          .....=††#@
@###&†:=..                                          ..=:†&###@
#&†††===..                                          ..===†††&#
@#†:=.....                                          .....=:†#@
##†:......                                          ......:†##
##††:=....         # ==================== #         ....=:††##
##@#&†:=..         : 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,§#  .~~\^§$¤£#
#@#@@%=«~¨   #§OF&THE@WAY@HOME@#TO£THE#TIME¶FROM#£  ¨~«=%@@#@#
##¶§%%:--¨  #£WHERE#THEY#CAME,@@@####AND#THEN@@@#   ¨--:%%§¶##
#@&^*:/=..   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE\-   ..=/:*^&@#
##£@¤§=»-,   ~-BEING - STOLEN -« FROM »~- THEM. .   ,-»=§¤@£##
@¶£§&†/~-,          -« ,  ~== ,  -.  -~  =          ,-~/†&§£¶@
#^=,,,...¨    ^   ~~          ,                ¨    ¨...,,,=^#
#£†~«--.¨¨        .      .          ,      §        ¨¨.--«~†£#
####§*†«-,                                          ,-«†*§####
&$=-:.¨,,¨                    .#.                   ¨,,¨.:-=$&
#£%^--~:,¨                                          ¨,:~--^%£#
@¶§§;~«.¨¨                   AND,                   ¨¨.«~;§§¶@
##£#*%;«,.                                          .,«;%*#£##
&%=.¨¨,¨¨.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .¨¨,¨¨.=%&
@£¶&§==»^.       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        .^»==§&¶£@
&&$=,~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~,=$&&
#§&$~,-.,.                                          .,.-,~$&§#
@@¶¤£=^~,¨                                          ¨,~^=£¤¶@@
#@@@%†;~.,                                          ,.~;†%@@@#
##££$%;~.,                                          ,.~;%$££##