@&=~~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~~=&@
#@@&%==~^,                                          ,^~==%&@@#
@%%%==^^^,                                          ,^^^==%%%@
@&&%=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=%&&@
##@&%==~^,                                          ,^~==%&@##
&==^,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,^==&
##@@&%=~^,         = 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§-$$A£SUDDEN%%AWARENESS#    ,~~:=$&###
#@#£&†^=-.  #%OF%&EXACTLY£#HOW£THEY#HAD§TRAVELED,¤# .-=^†&£#@#
###%*~¨¨,¨   #£OF£THE£WAY#HOME#¶TO#THE@TIME¶FROM##  ¨,¨¨~*%###
#$^-,.¨,.,  ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,@@@#@@#AND@THEN#@##   ,.,¨.,-^$#
@#@§%*^=~.   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE;=   .~=^*%§@#@
##@§$*^-:.   «-BEING « STOLEN »~ FROM »~» THEM. .   .:-^*$§@##
@##£$^=«.¨          «~ ,  =»= ,  «,  ,=  ~          ¨.«=^$£##@
###&£%*«,¨    :   -^          ,                ¨    ¨,«*%£&###
¤§$$$=»=..        ,      ¨          ¨      †        ..=»=$$$§¤
¶@%=«,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,«=%@¶
#@%:†:,.¨.                   ,#.                    .¨.,:†:%@#
#§¤=*:;~.¨                                          ¨.~;:*=¤§#
###@$=†~^,                   AND,                   ,^~†=$@###
#§#$~~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~~$#§#
##@#$%\~,.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .,~\%$#@##
§$\-»,,,¨¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨¨,,,»-\$§
#££$==»-,.                                          .,-»==$££#
###£&*/=,¨                                          ¨,=/*&£###
¤%»¨,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,¨»%¤
###£§%\--,                                          ,--\%§£###
&¤^»¨,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,¨»^¤&