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