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