#@££†^^...                                          ...^^†££@#
####£$†-^.                                          .^-†$£####
##@#£$†-^.                                          .^-†$£#@##
##@#£$†-^.                                          .^-†$£#@##
##@#£$†-^.                                          .^-†$£#@##
##@#£$†-^.         # -------------------- #         .^-†$£#@##
##@#£$†-^.         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         .^-†$£#@##
@#$†^.....         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         .....^†$#@
###@#£†-^.         †  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.       .^-:=%&@##
##@#&^=»:.                                          .:»=^&#@##
##@¤$^\-,.                                          .,-\^$¤@##
###§&*†~~,                                          ,~~†*&§###
£*^«,¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨,«^*£
#@#¤%*:=^.                                          .^=:*%¤#@#