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