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