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