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