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