##@§&*==,,                                          ,,==*&§@##
§§*===,,,,                                          ,,,,===*§§
##@§&*==,,                                          ,,==*&§@##
##@§&*==,,                                          ,,==*&§@##
§§§§&*==,,                                          ,,==*&§§§§
#@@§&*==,,         # ==================== #         ,,==*&§@@#
##@§&*==,,         = 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.        .-»:%£#@@@
#@%§%†=»,.                                          .,»=†%§%@#
###££§;-,¨                                          ¨,-;§££###
###&@$\=,.                                          .,=\$@&###
¶*=-¨¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨¨-=*¶
##@¤$*:»:.                                          .:»:*$¤@##