#%;;::::..                                          ..::::;;%#
###&%^;«:.                                          .:«;^%&###
###&%^;«:.                                          .:«;^%&###
#%;;;«....                                          ....«;;;%#
###&%^;«:.                                          .:«;^%&###
###&%^;«:.         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .:«;^%&###
###&%^;«:.         ; 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.  .¨,,~%**&£
#@£§$%†«~¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨~«†%$§£@#
§$=,¨,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,¨,=$§
####$%†«^¨                                          ¨^«†%$####
£%¤=†/^.,¨                                          ¨,.^/†=¤%£
@¤^==»:¨,.                                          .,¨:»==^¤@
@$;/~-~^~.                                          .~^~-~/;$@