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