$%:=,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,=:%$
&$%:=,,,,,                                          ,,,,,=:%$&
#&$%:=,,,,                                          ,,,,=:%$&#
##&$%:=,,,                                          ,,,=:%$&##
###&$%:=,,                                          ,,=:%$&###
##&$%:=,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,=:%$&##
#&$%:=,,,,         : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS :         ,,,,=:%$&#
&$%:=,,,,,         : IN A STALE TIMELINE, :         ,,,,,=:%$&
$%:=,,,,,,         :  BRANCHED WAY BACK   :         ,,,,,,=:%$
%:=,,,,,,,         :  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.        ,,,.¨,,»**
¤†*=~.,,.,                                          ,.,,.~=*†¤
@*=†--¨,.,                                          ,.,¨--†=*@
#¤%^;»:,.¨                                          ¨.,:»;^%¤#
#@§£§†«-..                                          ..-«†§£§@#
##£¤£==»^¨                                          ¨^»==£¤£##