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