§%=\~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~\=%§
%=\~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~\=%
=\~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\=
\~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\
=\~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\=
%=\~.¨¨¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨¨¨.~\=%
§%=\~.¨¨¨¨         \ 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.        ,.«=%¤§###
##£¤†/~~.¨                                          ¨.~~/†¤£##
@&$%^».,.¨                                          ¨.,.»^%$&@
§$*†-:.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.:-†*$§
§$/~,¨.,,¨                                          ¨,,.¨,~/$§
$\«:.,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,.:«\$