@¤%;~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~;%¤@
#@¤%;~,,,,                                          ,,,,~;%¤@#
##@¤%;~,,,                                          ,,,~;%¤@##
###@¤%;~,,                                          ,,~;%¤@###
##@¤%;~,,,                                          ,,,~;%¤@##
#@¤%;~,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,~;%¤@#
@¤%;~,,,,,         ; 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.       ¨..~-;=£&£
§@*:-,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,-:*@§
&%/=-.¨,..                                          ..,¨.-=/%&
&*=:»,...,                                          ,...,»:=*&
#§£%;»,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,»;%£§#
#¶§%**»-,.                                          .,-»**%§¶#