##@#%*:=,,                                          ,,=:*%#@##
#%%:=,,,,,                                          ,,,,,=:%%#
#*:::=,,,,                                          ,,,,=:::*#
##%**=,,,,                                          ,,,,=**%##
@#*::=,,,,                                          ,,,,=::*#@
##*=,,,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,,,=*##
##%*:,,,,,         : 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.       ¨,~/†@¤###
@§£#%%:«^,                                          ,^«:%%#£§@
###¤£§/»,,                                          ,,»/§£¤###
@¤†.,,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,,.†¤@
#†;^..¨.,.                                          .,.¨..^;†#
#@£#$%=«:.                                          .:«=%$#£@#