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