###@$^^»-¨                                          ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨                                          ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨                                          ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨         ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^         ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨         ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^         ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨         ^  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ^         ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨         ^  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ^         ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨         ^  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ^         ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨-»^^$@###
##@$^^»-¨¨         ^        AT ALL...     ^         ¨¨-»^^$@##
###@$^^»-¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨-»^^$@###
#@¶£$/-~..                                          ..~-/$£¶@#
###@@%\~-,     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.        .¨:-=†%£##
###¶%†:~:,                                          ,:~:†%¶###
##¶%§†=^.,                                          ,.^=†§%¶##
###£*^^=:,                                          ,:=^^*£###
##¶$%*~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~*%$¶##
##@£@^\=:,                                          ,:=\^@£@##