##@&$†;«,.                                          .,«;†$&@##
#@&$†;«,..                                          ..,«;†$&@#
@&$†;«,...                                          ...,«;†$&@
#@&$†;«,..                                          ..,«;†$&@#
##@&$†;«,.                                          .,«;†$&@##
#@&$†;«,..         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ..,«;†$&@#
@&$†;«,...         ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ;         ...,«;†$&@
#@&$†;«,..         ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ;         ..,«;†$&@#
##@&$†;«,.         ;  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ;         .,«;†$&@##
#@&$†;«,..         ;  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ;         ..,«;†$&@#
@&$†;«,...         ;  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ;         ...,«;†$&@
#@&$†;«,..  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ..,«;†$&@#
##@&$†;«,.  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  .,«;†$&@##
#@&$†;«,..         ;        AT ALL...     ;         ..,«;†$&@#
@&$†;«,...         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ...,«;†$&@
##§@=/-~,.                                          .,~-/=@§##
###@$$\~,¨     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     ¨,~\$$@###
#@&$*:=~..   LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK,   ..~=:*$&@#
@£$*=»:,¨. FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND  .¨,:»=*$£@
##@%=;=:,,  ROOTS THAT ARE AS HARD AS THE GROUND.   ,,:=;=%@##
###¤%%†~-,   IT'S GETTING DARK, THEY ARE THIRSTY,   ,-~†%%¤###
#@§£*^~~¨¨     AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL.     ¨¨~~^*£§@#
#¤%%=»~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~»=%%¤#
#@£%%=»,¨,                    ¨#¨                   ,¨,»=%%£@#
###¤%*\»,¨                                          ¨,»\*%¤###
#@£%*=~~¨.    THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE    .¨~~=*%£@#
#@%*\~~¨.,   IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS.    ,.¨~~\*%@#
##§%=/«...   IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN   ...«/=%§##
##@&%%;~:,   THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS  ,:~;%%&@##
##§§§:»,,.           UNDISTURBED BY WIND.           .,,»:§§§##
#§%%/«~¨,.                                          .,¨~«/%%§#
##£§%*»-,,                    ,#,                   ,,-»*%§£##
###&£^=~,,                                          ,,~=^£&###
##¤£†=~,.¨     AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE     ¨.,~=†£¤##
##@%^«^¨,¨ EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER,  ¨,¨^«^%@##
##¤&$/~^¨.    WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY ALL DESIRE    .¨^~/$&¤##
##@#$**»:¨    GREATLY AT THIS POINT. THEY FAIL TO   ¨:»**$#@##
#@§$$†=~.,  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,                   ,¨¨,-/$¤§#
##&£§;~:,,                                          ,,:~;§£&##
###£%%=~,.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .,~=%%£###
#@@*===^¨,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,¨^===*@@#
@#*=:=^,.¨                                          ¨.,^=:=*#@
#@#$%^~-,¨                                          ¨,-~^%$#@#
##@¤%§*«~¨                                          ¨~«*§%¤@##
#@#%§^»-¨,                                          ,¨-»^§%#@#
#&*$*«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«*$*&#