#@@&£^†-,¨                                          ¨,-†^£&@@#
@&&&£^†-,¨                                          ¨,-†^£&&&@
&£†††††-,¨                                          ¨,-†††††£&
#@@&£^†-,¨                                          ¨,-†^£&@@#
#@@&£^†-,¨                                          ¨,-†^£&@@#
@&^†----,¨         # -------------------- #         ¨,----†^&@
@@@&£^†-,¨         † 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.        .--\$*¤£##
#@%^*«,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,«*^%@#
####¤*^\,¨                                          ¨,\^*¤####
#£#@%§=~,,                                          ,,~=§%@#£#
@*†:¨¨,,..                                          ..,,¨¨:†*@
@*^;.-¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨-.;^*@