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