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