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