..,=†$&§##                                          ##§&$†=,..
...,=†$&§#                                          #§&$†=,...
....,=†$&§                                          §&$†=,....
.....,=†$&                                          &$†=,.....
......,=†$                                          $†=,......
.......,=†         # ==================== #         †=,.......
........,=         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         =,........
.........,         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ,.........
........,=         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         =,........
.......,=†         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         †=,.......
......,=†$         †  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.        ^«,.,,,,.¨
¨..,¨,,¨-=                                          =-¨,,¨,..¨
,¨,,.¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨.,,¨,
¨¨...¨¨.~»                                          »~.¨¨...¨¨
.,.,.¨,,-†                                          †-,,¨.,.,.
,¨¨,,.:==§                                          §==:.,,¨¨,