###§*%==,¨                                          ¨,==%*§###
##§*%==,¨¨                                          ¨¨,==%*§##
#§*%==,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,==%*§#
§*%==,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,==%*§
#§*%==,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,==%*§#
##§*%==,¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨,==%*§##
###§*%==,¨         = 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.  ,¨.~-†§%&@
£$=/~.¨¨¨,       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ,¨¨¨.~/=$£
@&¤%/~,.,.                                          .,.,~/%¤&@
##££%*~^..                                          ..^~*%££##
###£$=*«~.                                          .~«*=$£###
###@$:=~.,                                          ,.~=:$@###
#£@$\=^¨.,                                          ,.¨^=\$@£#