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