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