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