@##§*%*«,.                                          .,«*%*§##@
###§*%*«,.                                          .,«*%*§###
##@#*%*«,.                                          .,«*%*#@##
@§§%««....                                          ....««%§§@
#***,.....                                          .....,***#
@@#§*%*«,.         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .,«*%*§#@@
@@#§*%*«,.         * 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.        .¨¨.«*:§%@
£^%†=»,,,¨                                          ¨,,,»=†%^£
##£&%=:«..                                          ..«:=%&£##
##@@@†:~.¨                                          ¨.~:†@@@##
##£*/-¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨-/*£##
##@¤*^\~.¨                                          ¨.~\^*¤@##