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