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