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