*=»~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~»=*
=»~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~»=
*=»~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~»=*
%*=»~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~»=*%
#%*=»~,,,,                                          ,,,,~»=*%#
@#%*=»~,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,~»=*%#@
#@#%*=»~,,         = 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.        .¨¨,-:§&@#
#§=:~,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,~:=§#
&=*-~.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.~-*=&
%:~.,,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,,.~:%
\~^,¨..¨¨.                                          .¨¨..¨,^~\
§*--,,,...                                          ...,,,--*§