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