##%%==..¨¨                                          ¨¨..==%%##
£%%»»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»»%%£
###£%%=».¨                                          ¨.»=%%£###
£%»»¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨»»%£
##@#£%=».¨                                          ¨.»=%£#@##
#£££%%=».¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨.»=%%£££#
##££%%=».¨         = 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.        ..»†%£#£@#
##¶&@^*~..                                          ..~*^@&¶##
###¤&=†«,.                                          .,«†=&¤###
#@@@%$\»,,                                          ,,»\$%@@@#
##@&¤%;-,,                                          ,,-;%¤&@##
@$~.,,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,,.~$@