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