##£%::,...                                          ...,::%£##
###££%:-,.                                          .,-:%££###
###££%:-,.                                          .,-:%££###
£%%%%-....                                          ....-%%%%£
###££%:-,.                                          .,-:%££###
###££%:-,.         # -------------------- #         .,-:%££###
##£££%:-,.         : 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. ¨   ..¨¨.¨,\¤£
#@@;†~.,.,          «~ ¨  ~~» ,  =,  ^«  -          ,.,.~†;@@#
##¶@&^:~~¨    ,   ~:          -                ¨    ¨~~:^&@¶##
£¶¶§$^\«-,        ¨      .          .      $        ,-«\^$§¶¶£
#@@&$†/-:.                                          .:-/†$&@@#
####***-,,                   .#,                    ,,-***####
###@@*$»^.                                          .^»$*@@###
###&£%^~,.                   AND,                   .,~^%£&###
#@@££%:--.                                          .--:%££@@#
###&%=^»,.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .,»^=%&###
#¤=«,.,¨.,       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ,.¨,.,«=¤#
&=:\;:¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨:;\:=&
##@@*$†«-¨                                          ¨-«†$*@@##
&^=~~:,,¨,                                          ,¨,,:~~=^&
££*--»-.¨,                                          ,¨.-»--*££
####%*\~,.                                          .,~\*%####