##¶&%%==.,                                          ,.==%%&¶##
#¶&%%==.,,                                          ,,.==%%&¶#
##¶&%%==.,                                          ,.==%%&¶##
#¶&%%==.,,                                          ,,.==%%&¶#
##¶&%%==.,                                          ,.==%%&¶##
#¶&%%==.,,         # ==================== #         ,,.==%%&¶#
##¶&%%==.,         = 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.        ¨¨-=/†§£@#
###§%%=~^.                                          .^~=%%§###
#£#$*/~.,.                                          .,.~/*$#£#
###£$%==^¨                                          ¨^==%$£###
##£$**~...                                          ...~**$£##
###&£^\»-.                                          .-»\^£&###