@£^\-.,,,,                                          ,,,,.-\^£@
£^\-.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.-\^£
@£^\-.,,,,                                          ,,,,.-\^£@
¶@£^\-.,,,                                          ,,,.-\^£@¶
#¶@£^\-.,,                                          ,,.-\^£@¶#
##¶@£^\-.,         # -------------------- #         ,.-\^£@¶##
#¶@£^\-.,,         \ 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.        ,~~/*££###
#@££†;-~..                                          ..~-;†££@#
@#§*†~^¨..                                          ..¨^~†*§#@
&***~....¨                                          ¨....~***&
$*/~,.¨..,                                          ,..¨.,~/*$
#$=*=~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~=*=$#