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