##@¤¤$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#@¤¤$†«^¨¨         †        AT ALL...     †         ¨¨^«†$¤¤@#
##@¤¤$†«^¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨^«†$¤¤@##
#£&&*^=,,¨                                          ¨,,=^*&&£#
###¤¤*/»,¨     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.        ¨.,«*†%§¶#
##@&¤*/~^,                                          ,^~/*¤&@##
##&£^†«.¨,                                          ,¨.«†^£&##
##£&£%=«-,                                          ,-«=%£&£##
##@@§†»-..                                          ..-»†§@@##
##£#@^:=-,                                          ,-=:^@#£##