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