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