####*^†=^.                                          .^=†^*####
###*^†=^..                                          ..^=†^*###
####*^†=^.                                          .^=†^*####
###*^†=^..                                          ..^=†^*###
####*^†=^.                                          .^=†^*####
###*^†=^..         # ==================== #         ..^=†^*###
####*^†=^.         † 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.        ¨,:»\%£¤£#
####§†^-:¨                                          ¨:-^†§####
#@§*†*~^,,                                          ,,^~*†*§@#
##¶§£**=^.                                          .^=**£§¶##
##¤*%\-,,,                                          ,,,-\%*¤##
###££*:«~¨                                          ¨~«:*££###