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