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