###@=†=,,,                                          ,,,=†=@###
##@=†=,,,,                                          ,,,,=†=@##
#@=†=,,,,,                                          ,,,,,=†=@#
##@=†=,,,,                                          ,,,,=†=@##
###@=†=,,,                                          ,,,=†=@###
####@=†=,,         # ==================== #         ,,=†=@####
###@=†=,,,         † 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.       .,¨:===@£@
###@**»~¨.                                          .¨~»**@###
###@¤$:«-.                                          .-«:$¤@###
#@£$††~~.¨                                          ¨.~~††$£@#
#¶¤§\»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»\§¤¶#
££$†«...,¨                                          ¨,...«†$££