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