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