¶¶@@$†/-,,                                          ,,-/†$@@¶¶
###¶@†/-,,                                          ,,-/†@¶###
@$$///,,,,                                          ,,,,///$$@
@$$†---,,,                                          ,,,---†$$@
###¶@†/-,,                                          ,,-/†@¶###
@††-,,,,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,,,,-††@
#¶@@$†/-,,         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         ,,-/†$@@¶#
¶$††---,,,         / IN A STALE TIMELINE, /         ,,,---††$¶
###¶@$†-,,         /  BRANCHED WAY BACK   /         ,,-†$@¶###
##¶@$†/-,,         /  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  /         ,,-/†$@¶##
#¶$/,,,,,,         /  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  /         ,,,,,,/$¶#
¶¶$$†--,,, COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ,,,--†$$¶¶
#¶$$$†/-,,  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ,,-/†$$$¶#
##¶@$†/-,,         /        AT ALL...     /         ,,-/†$@¶##
#@†/,,,,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,,,,/†@#
####$$†=,.                                          .,=†$$####
@@§^\-¨,¨,     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.  .-~/*%#@##
#@¤%$††~,¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨,~††$%¤@#
£§@†--¨..¨                                          ¨..¨--†@§£
@#@§*=^~:.                                          .:~^=*§@#@
###§£†/~-.                                          .-~/†£§###
##@¶@@*~,.                                          .,~*@@¶@##
@*^=:,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,:=^*@