@^†--,,,,,                                          ,,,,,--†^@
##¶@£^†=-,                                          ,-=†^£@¶##
##¶@£^†=-,                                          ,-=†^£@¶##
¶£^^†--,,,                                          ,,,--†^^£¶
##¶@£^†=-,                                          ,-=†^£@¶##
#¶£^=----,         # ==================== #         ,----=^£¶#
##¶@£^†=-,         † 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^   ,.¨¨~.~^*@
##@@&*^-,.     $=†BRIGHT%-*%A£SUDDEN¤¤AWARENESS#    .,-^*&@@##
#¤%;=~~¨,, #%OF&§EXACTLY§#HOW#THEY#HAD#TRAVELED,%#  ,,¨~~=;%¤#
####%%/~,,  ##OF§THE@WAY#HOME¶#TO@THE£TIME@FROM#@   ,,~/%%####
#¤*~,¨,..,   ##WHERE@THEY@CAME,##@@#@#AND#THEN####  ,..,¨,~*¤#
£†/=~~,,.,   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE==   ,.,,~~=/†£
§&%*~~~,..   »=BEING ~ STOLEN == FROM -«~ THEM. .   ..,~~~*%&§
@¤%=~,~,¨,          == ,  «-~ .  =.  ~=  »          ,¨,~,~=%¤@
¤£&&===,¨,    ,   ~.          .                .    ,¨,===&&£¤
#**~.,.,,,        ¨      ¨          .      =        ,,,.,.~**#
#@%§§~¨,,.                                          .,,¨~§§%@#
#@#§*%^=,,                   .#,                    ,,=^%*§#@#
###¶§=\«^,                                          ,^«\=§¶###
§**=,...,,                   AND,                   ,,...,=**§
@£††=«~¨..                                          ..¨~«=††£@
@#@%/..¨.,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,.¨../%@#@
####%^;«..       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ..«;^%####
###§¤^^»,.                                          .,»^^¤§###
¶%†,,¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨,,†%¶
##@£**^=.¨                                          ¨.=^**£@##
#&@#$^;~,¨                                          ¨,~;^$#@&#
#@#@£*:»~,                                          ,~»:*£@#@#