####@$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$@####
####@$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$@####
####@$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$@####
#$$*---¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨---*$$#
####@$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$@####
##$$$=¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨=$$$##
####@$*=-¨         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         ¨-=*$@####
#@@@$$*=-¨         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ¨-=*$$@@@#
####@$*=-¨         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ¨-=*$@####
####@$*=-¨         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ¨-=*$@####
#$*=¨¨¨¨¨¨         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ¨¨¨¨¨¨=*$#
#@**--¨¨¨¨ 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,                   ,,«=*†$%§@
###£&%;~-.                                          .-~;%&£###
£@¶#¤*=-:,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,:-=*¤#¶@£
@%£*^=;~,,       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ,,~;=^*£%@
&$*\~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~\*$&
#¤@*«~-.-.                                          .-.-~«*@¤#
@@£†:«.,.¨                                          ¨.,.«:†£@@
#&¤;»,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,»;¤&#
###§§*^»:,                                          ,:»^*§§###