@###$%^«,,                                          ,,«^%$###@
@$$^«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«^$$@
@@#$$%^«,,                                          ,,«^%$$#@@
@@$^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^$@@
##@@#$%«,,                                          ,,«%$#@@##
##%%%^«,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,«^%%%##
#@@#$%^«,,         ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^         ,,«^%$#@@#
#@@#$%^«,,         ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^         ,,«^%$#@@#
@@@#$%^«,,         ^  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ^         ,,«^%$#@@@
#@@#$%^«,,         ^  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ^         ,,«^%$#@@#
#$^«,,,,,,         ^  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ^         ,,,,,,«^$#
@$$$$%^«,,  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ,,«^%$$$$@
#@@#$%^«,,  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ,,«^%$#@@#
@@$^^^,,,,         ^        AT ALL...     ^         ,,,,^^^$@@
@#%%«,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,«%%#@
#@£&&§=~,¨                                          ¨,~=§&&£@#
#@@&&%:=,,     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.       ¨..¨.~*$##
##@§§§*«:.                                          .:«*§§§@##
&¤£$«..¨..                                          ..¨..«$£¤&
#§=/.^,,¨,                                          ,¨,,^./=§#
§^%;-.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.-;%^§
#@@@¤%†«^.                                          .^«†%¤@@@#