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