#@#@$†\~,,                                          ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,,                                          ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,                                          ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,,                                          ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,                                          ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,         \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \         ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,,         \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \         ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,         \  BRANCHED WAY BACK   \         ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,,         \  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  \         ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,         \  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  \         ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,, COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ,,~\†$@#@#
@#@$†\~,,,         \        AT ALL...     \         ,,,~\†$@#@
#@#@$†\~,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,~\†$@#@#
@¶£@*;~,¨,                                          ,¨,~;*@£¶@
#@@§@§/-~.     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####  ¨.,»††$@¶#
##@§§**~,.   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE=~   .,~**§§@##
@@@%§\=^¨,   -»BEING ~ STOLEN ~- FROM ~»» THEM. ¨   ,¨^=\§%@@@
##£&&*^«^.          -~ .  ««- .  »,  ,-  ~          .^«^*&&£##
##£§%*--,¨    ,   ,~          .                ,    ¨,--*%§£##
#@¶@£†:»,¨        .      ¨          ¨      *        ¨,»:†£@¶@#
#¶£$§†=,.¨                                          ¨.,=†§$£¶#
#@£¤@%†«:¨                    ,#¨                   ¨:«†%@¤£@#
#¶£¤**~~¨,                                          ,¨~~**¤£¶#
##£&*§*~,,                   AND,                   ,,~*§*&£##
@¶&$%/=,¨.                                          .¨,=/%$&¶@
###§£†/»:.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .:»/†£§###
@£#%§/=~.,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,.~=/§%#£@
##@§%=*~.,                                          ,.~*=%§@##
##§¤%;-^¨.                                          .¨^-;%¤§##
##@£$^/~-.                                          .-~/^$£@##
#¶¤&$†«:..                                          ..:«†$&¤¶#
###§$§=«-,                                          ,-«=§$§###