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