##@¤&=:«-,                                          ,-«:=&¤@##
@&:«--,,,,                                          ,,,,--«:&@
##@¤&=:«-,                                          ,-«:=&¤@##
##@¤&=:«-,                                          ,-«:=&¤@##
¤¤¤&&=:«-,                                          ,-«:=&&¤¤¤
##@¤&=:«-,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,-«:=&¤@##
###¤&=:«-,         : 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. ¨   .~«/*=@§#§
#@£@$§=»~¨          =- .  «-» ,  =,  ,~  «          ¨~»=§$@£@#
#@#§@^;~.¨    .   ,:          -                ,    ¨.~;^@§#@#
#£/~=-..¨,        ¨      ,          ,      ^        ,¨..-=~/£#
##@§@%=~,.                                          .,~=%@§@##
@@@$%$=~:,                    ,#.                   ,:~=$%$@@@
#@##@^*~,.                                          .,~*^@##@#
#$\=~....¨                   AND,                   ¨....~=\$#
###@£$*~~¨                                          ¨~~*$£@###
###@£§*»~.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .~»*§£@###
###@¤@*«.¨       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¨.«*@¤@###
@%%~¨¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨¨~%%@
##@#§$/»,.                                          .,»/$§#@##
@#£#%%^-^.                                          .^-^%%#£#@
#@%%/†*~,.                                          .,~*†/%%@#
#@#¤%†=»~,                                          ,~»=†%¤#@#