#@^--.....                                          .....--^@#
###@@%^--.                                          .--^%@@###
@@^^^-....                                          ....-^^^@@
###@%^-...                                          ...-^%@###
##@#@%^--.                                          .--^%@#@##
##%-......         # -------------------- #         ......-%##
##@#@%^--.         ^ 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$$AWARENESS#     .^~†=%@@£#
##¶£$§^-,. #$OF%§EXACTLY¤#HOW&THEY@HAD#TRAVELED,§#  .,-^§$£¶##
##@§§*/»~¨   #&OF£THE#WAY@HOME£@TO@THE#TIME#FROM##  ¨~»/*§§@##
¤*=»-,¨¨¨.  #£WHERE#THEY@CAME,###@#@#AND#THEN###@   .¨¨¨,-»=*¤
#%$=«~~~¨,   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE/»   ,¨~~~«=$%#
####£§=»,¨   --BEING » STOLEN »~ FROM =-~ THEM. .   ¨,»=§£####
@#@@%*\~~.          -= .  --- .  ~,  .=  «          .~~\*%@@#@
@#¶££*†-,¨    ^   :-          -                ¨    ¨,-†*££¶#@
###§§%^-.,        ,      ¨          ,      ^        ,.-^%§§###
###£$†*~^,                                          ,^~*†$£###
##@£$%:-:¨                    ,#,                   ¨:-:%$£@##
#@@£@%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%@£@@#
#*$&$§†-,.                   AND,                   .,-†§$&$*#
###@£††=^¨                                          ¨^=††£@###
§@$%/...¨¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨¨.../%$@§
####£†=«-.       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        .-«=†£####
##@@$$/=.,                                          ,.=/$$@@##
#£%%\~--,.                                          .,--~\%%£#
##¶&£*^-.¨                                          ¨.-^*£&¶##
@#£@$*=-:,                                          ,:-=*$@£#@
§$;;;^¨.,,                                          ,,.¨^;;;$§