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