###@%*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*%@###
##@&%*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*%&@##
##@&%*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*%&@##
##@&%*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*%&@##
##@&%*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*%&@##
@@@&%*=-,¨         # -------------------- #         ¨,-=*%&@@@
&%%*---¨¨¨         = 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,                   ,.,»\^&$£@
#@§£@%;~,.                                          .,~;%@£§@#
#@@@¤**«:¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨:«**¤@@@#
#§%~,.,.¨.        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       .¨.,.,~%§#
#&$=;:,¨..                                          ..¨,:;=$&#
##@@%%†~^,                                          ,^~†%%@@##
§*=::..,,,                                          ,,,..::=*§
&&¤§@^^~~,                                          ,~~^^@§¤&&
##£#£=;=^¨                                          ¨^=;=£#£##