§=\=-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-=\=§
=\=-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=\=
\=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=\
=\=-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=\=
§=\=-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-=\=§
¤§=\=-¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨-=\=§¤
#¤§=\=-¨¨¨         \ 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.  .:-*†%####
@#¤$*†~-¨.       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        .¨-~†*$¤#@
#@@†^»,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,»^†@@#
#£=*~~..¨¨                                          ¨¨..~~*=£#
§†:-~¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨~-:†§
==»^¨.¨...                                          ...¨.¨^»==
=~:¨,.,¨,.                                          .,¨,.,¨:~=