##@@@%/=^.                                          .^=/%@@@##
@##@%=....                                          ....=%@##@
@££#@%/=^.                                          .^=/%@#££@
#@/=......                                          ......=/@#
#%=^......                                          ......^=%#
##@#@%/=^.         # ==================== #         .^=/%@#@##
#@£#@%/=^.         / 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.        ..,.¨~*&¤@
¶@§=†»¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨»†=§@¶
#@##¤=:~-,                                          ,-~:=¤##@#
§#£%-¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨-%£#§
#§#£=~=~..                                          ..~=~=£#§#
#@@§§*\--,                                          ,--\*§§@@#