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