@$=††»,,,,                                          ,,,,»††=$@
##¶@$=†»,,                                          ,,»†=$@¶##
###@$=†»,,                                          ,,»†=$@###
##¶@$=†»,,                                          ,,»†=$@¶##
##¶@$=†»,,                                          ,,»†=$@¶##
##¶@$=†»,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,»†=$@¶##
¶¶$=»»»»,,         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ,,»»»»=$¶¶
#¶$$=†»,,,         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ,,,»†=$$¶#
¶¶¶@$=†»,,         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ,,»†=$@¶¶¶
@=†»»,,,,,         †  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.  ¨,~^†%¤£##
#@£§$$^~^.       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        .^~^$$§£@#
###¶¤§;»~,                                          ,~»;§¤¶###
#$*$§«.:,.                                          .,:.«§$*$#
##§&^\«-¨,                                          ,¨-«\^&§##
#&§*/*-.¨.                                          .¨.-*/*§&#
#@#§%%:~:¨                                          ¨:~:%%§#@#