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