###@&&†/~,                                          ,~/†&&@###
##@&&†/~,,                                          ,,~/†&&@##
#@&&†/~,,,                                          ,,,~/†&&@#
@&&†/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/†&&@
#@&&†/~,,,                                          ,,,~/†&&@#
##@&&†/~,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,~/†&&@##
###@&&†/~,         / 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. .   ¨,-†**#£##
###¶&%†:-¨          =~ .  »~- ,  »¨  ~=  »          ¨-:†%&¶###
####@$\~,¨    ,   -.          .                ,    ¨,~\$@####
#£@$%;~,.,        .      .          .      *        ,.,~;%$@£#
@#¤%†=..,,                                          ,,..=†%¤#@
###%*†«...                   ¨#,                    ...«†*%###
##@£§*;»¨¨                                          ¨¨»;*§£@##
###@@&§†-,                   AND,                   ,-†§&@@###
#@@£@^=~.,                                          ,.~=^@£@@#
@@&**/~,,¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨,,~/**&@@
¶#%==~¨¨,.        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       .,¨¨~==%#¶
#@@¤*/~..¨                                          ¨..~/*¤@@#
###£$†/»¨.                                          .¨»/†$£###
###@&£†^=¨                                          ¨=^†£&@###
##¶@*^†=,,                                          ,,=†^*@¶##
##@*%*-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-*%*@##