###§$$;»~,                                          ,~»;$$§###
###§$$;»~,                                          ,~»;$$§###
§$;~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~;$§
###§$$;»~,                                          ,~»;$$§###
§$;~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~;$§
###§$$;»~,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,~»;$$§###
§$»~,,,,,,         ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ;         ,,,,,,~»$§
#§§$;;»,,,         ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ;         ,,,»;;$§§#
#§§$;;»,,,         ;  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ;         ,,,»;;$§§#
§$$$;~~,,,         ;  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ;         ,,,~~;$$$§
#$;»,,,,,,         ;  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ;         ,,,,,,»;$#
§$$$;»~~,,  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ,,~~»;$$$§
###§$$;»~,  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ,~»;$$§###
§$$$;;~~,,         ;        AT ALL...     ;         ,,~~;;$$$§
###§$$;»~,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,~»;$$§###
#@#@£^==,¨                                          ¨,==^£@#@#
##@#%§/«:¨     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,                   ¨~~\=§&@##
@$\=/,.,,.                                          .,,.,/=\$@
&¤^^,,¨.¨,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,¨.¨,,^^¤&
@@@@%†=«,.        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       .,«=†%@@@@
#@#£%$*-^.                                          .^-*$%£#@#
£$†§%§/=-.                                          .-=/§%§†$£
##¶@¤%;-.,                                          ,.-;%¤@¶##
#@#@@==«~,                                          ,~«==@@#@#
@%%*~^.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.^~*%%@