#&$:~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~:$&#
#&*~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~*&#
&*:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:*&
##$*~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~*$##
###&$*:~,,                                          ,,~:*$&###
###&$*:~,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,~:*$&###
####&$:~,,         : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS :         ,,~:$&####
&$:~,,,,,,         : IN A STALE TIMELINE, :         ,,,,,,~:$&
&$$**::~,,         :  BRANCHED WAY BACK   :         ,,~::**$$&
###&$*:~,,         :  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  :         ,,~:*$&###
###&$*:~,,         :  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  :         ,,~:*$&###
###&$*:~,,  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ,,~:*$&###
###&$*:~,,  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ,,~:*$&###
###&$*:~,,         :        AT ALL...     :         ,,~:*$&###
####&*:~,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,~:*&####
####&*†«,¨                                          ¨,«†*&####
##@£%%\=^¨     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.       .,~*%%&@##
@@=:»,,...                                          ...,,»:=@@
##@#§*^»,.                                          .,»^*§#@##
&§%†,..¨.¨                                          ¨.¨..,†%§&
@#=-.:^.,,                                          ,,.^:.-=#@
@¶§§%%:~.¨                                          ¨.~:%%§§¶@