#@¶#£%^~,,                                          ,,~^%£#¶@#
#@¶#£%^~,,                                          ,,~^%£#¶@#
¶###£%^~,,                                          ,,~^%£###¶
##¶#£%^~,,                                          ,,~^%£#¶##
##%^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^%##
@##£%^,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,^%£##@
#@¶#£%^~,,         ^ 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:~   .^«^$££###
##&^§*/-:¨   =«BEING » STOLEN »» FROM =~~ THEM. ¨   ¨:-/*§^&##
##£/=¨.¨,¨          ~= ,  »«~ ¨  ».  ,~  ~          ¨,¨.¨=/£##
#£¤%†:=»~¨    ,   ,-          ^                ,    ¨~»=:†%¤£#
###&§§*«.,        ,      ,          ¨      =        ,.«*§§&###
&@¤*\~-,.,                                          ,.,-~\*¤@&
@¤£&§*\~:¨                   ¨#¨                    ¨:~\*§&£¤@
##@&§%:~~.                                          .~~:%§&@##
#*::.¨..,.                   AND,                   .,..¨.::*#
##@£$^^=.,                                          ,.=^^$£@##
##@@£*=«,,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,,«=*£@@##
#@&^\~=.,,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,,.=~\^&@#
####*$†~,.                                          .,~†$*####
#¶$=«.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.«=$¶#
#@¶§*†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†*§¶@#
##£&%§*~^¨                                          ¨^~*§%&£##
#@$†^§:=^¨                                          ¨^=:§^†$@#