####*^\«,.                                          .,«\^*####
#^««,.....                                          .....,««^#
####*^\«,.                                          .,«\^*####
##*^^««,..                                          ..,««^^*##
#*^\,,....                                          ....,,\^*#
###^«««...         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ...«««^###
####*^\«,.         \ 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.  ,.~†=$@###
##¶@%%*».¨       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¨.»*%%@¶##
¶%†=-...,,                                          ,,...-=†%¶
###££^*~.,                                          ,.~*^££###
##£§%$:=:,                                          ,:=:$%§£##
#§%%=,,,..                                          ..,,,=%%§#
#&£:*=:-..                                          ..-:=*:£&#