@##&%$†-~.                                          .~-†$%&##@
@&$-......                                          ......-$&@
##@&%$†-~.                                          .~-†$%&@##
##%†~~....                                          ....~~†%##
@##&%$†-~.                                          .~-†$%&##@
#@#&%$†-~.         # -------------------- #         .~-†$%&#@#
###&%$†-~.         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         .~-†$%&###
#@#&%$†-~.         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         .~-†$%&#@#
#@#&%$†-~.         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         .~-†$%&#@#
#@#&%$†-~.         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         .~-†$%&#@#
@@#&%$†-~.         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         .~-†$%&#@@
#%%††~.... 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.       .,¨~~«~%£#
###&%%/~-,                                          ,-~/%%&###
###££†:»-,                                          ,-»:†££###
¶¤$^^,..,.                                          .,..,^^$¤¶
¶$@;«¨,¨,,                                          ,,¨,¨«;@$¶
£@££;-¨,,.                                          .,,¨-;££@£