###&$*†=^,                                          ,^=†*$&###
###&$*†=^,                                          ,^=†*$&###
###&$*†=^,                                          ,^=†*$&###
###&$*†=^,                                          ,^=†*$&###
&$†^^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^^†$&
&**==^,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,^==**&
##$$†^^^,,         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ,,^^^†$$##
###&$*†=^,         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ,^=†*$&###
##$††^,,,,         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ,,,,^††$##
###&$*†=^,         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         ,^=†*$&###
###&$*†=^,         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         ,^=†*$&###
#&*=,,,,,,  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#@  .....^*$@¤
£&*†/«-.¨,  ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,#@@@@##AND#THEN#@@@   ,¨.-«/†*&£
¶&§=»~¨¨,¨   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE;~   ¨,¨¨~»=§&¶
#@#@£%^-,¨   ~-BEING » STOLEN ~« FROM »«~ THEM. .   ¨,-^%£@#@#
£%*:..¨¨,¨          -« .  ~-» .  ~,  ~~  ~          ¨,¨¨..:*%£
#&$:†\^~~.    :   ,,          ,                .    .~~^\†:$&#
&@£*§^»,..        ,      .          ¨      %        ..,»^§*£@&
#@¶#@†/=-.                                          .-=/†@#¶@#
#§#§^»,.,,                    .#,                   ,,.,»^§#§#
##@†~-,,,.                                          .,,,-~†@##
##££&^\»^.                   AND,                   .^»\^&££##
##@@@^=~,¨                                          ¨,~=^@@@##
@@*:^,¨..¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨..¨,^:*@@
#¤=».,.¨.,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,.¨.,.»=¤#
#@@@¤*\~^¨                                          ¨^~\*¤@@@#
@†%**=..,¨                                          ¨,..=**%†@
#@&£$†\»,.                                          .,»\†$£&@#
#@£§$=*-,,                                          ,,-*=$§£@#
##¶£&*†=,.                                          .,=†*&£¶##