##@#@§†»,.                                          .,»†§@#@##
@@@#@§†»,.                                          .,»†§@#@@@
@@§»»»»,,.                                          .,,»»»»§@@
###@†»,,..                                          ..,,»†@###
#@††»»,,..                                          ..,,»»††@#
###@#§†»,.         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         .,»†§#@###
##@#@§†»,.         † 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. ,   ¨^»:%$§###
####&$†«,¨          =- ,  »~- ,  -.  ~«  «          ¨,«†$&####
##@#£==«.,    .   ,,          :                ,    ,.«==£#@##
#@#§&†:«,,        ,      ,          ,      *        ,,«:†&§#@#
@%^/=¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨=/^%@
#&*^»,,,.,                   ¨#.                    ,.,,,»^*&#
£*%»~,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,~»%*£
@£&**;~,¨.                   AND,                   .¨,~;**&£@
#§$§%†^«,.                                          .,«^†%§$§#
##¶&%%\~,,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,,~\%%&¶##
#@@@£%*--¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨--*%£@@@#
¤§£**=*~^,                                          ,^~*=**£§¤
#@¶&&$:~,.                                          .,~:$&&¶@#
@¶*/==,,¨,                                          ,¨,,==/*¶@
###¤**:-,,                                          ,,-:**¤###
##£§*^^-.¨                                          ¨.-^^*§£##