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