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