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