#@##@=\=^.                                          .^=\=@##@#
#@##@=\=^.                                          .^=\=@##@#
#@##@=\=^.                                          .^=\=@##@#
#@\\^.....                                          .....^\\@#
####@=\=^.                                          .^=\=@####
#@##@=\=^.         # ==================== #         .^=\=@##@#
#@##@=\=^.         \ 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.  ,¨,-^==%¤&
¤$**~»~¨,¨       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¨,¨~»~**$¤
&¤%;~~,,,,                                          ,,,,~~;%¤&
#@@¤$%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%$¤@@#
#@¶&¤†\»,.                                          .,»\†¤&¶@#
@@#¤£*:~,¨                                          ¨,~:*£¤#@@
@#@¤&*^=..                                          ..=^*&¤@#@