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