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