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