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