####*^:~:.                                          .:~:^*####
###*^:~:..                                          ..:~:^*###
####*^:~:.                                          .:~:^*####
###*^:~:..                                          ..:~:^*###
####*^:~:.                                          .:~:^*####
###*^:~:..         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..:~:^*###
####*^:~:.         : 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.       ¨¨,~==§§@#
###££*;~^¨                                          ¨^~;*££###
##@**=~:..                                          ..:~=**@##
##@@%=;=^.                                          .^=;=%@@##
##&%††=~¨,                                          ,¨~=††%&##
####&§\~,¨                                          ¨,~\§&####