##¶¤%=*,¨¨                                          ¨¨,*=%¤¶##
###¶¤%=*,¨                                          ¨,*=%¤¶###
##¶¤%=*,¨¨                                          ¨¨,*=%¤¶##
#¶¤%=*,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,*=%¤¶#
¶¤%=*,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,*=%¤¶
¤%=*,¨¨¨¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨¨¨¨,*=%¤
%=*,¨¨¨¨¨¨         * 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.  ..¨...,\%£
££$:~¨...,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,...¨~:$££
£&%*:.,..¨                                          ¨..,.:*%&£
##§£§*^,¨¨                                          ¨¨,^*§£§##
#@¶¤$%\^¨¨                                          ¨¨^\%$¤¶@#
##@#§$%\^,                                          ,^\%$§#@##
#@#££%*^¨.                                          .¨^*%££#@#