##@£@§;»-,                                          ,-»;§@£@##
##@£@§;»-,                                          ,-»;§@£@##
##@£@§;»-,                                          ,-»;§@£@##
£@§»,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,»§@£
##@£@§;»-,                                          ,-»;§@£@##
£§»»,,,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,,,»»§£
##@£@§;»-,         ; 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.        ¨,¨..~\=¤£
##@£#$^~^.                                          .^~^$#£@##
#¶$§~..,,.                                          .,,..~§$¶#
@#¤†*-...,                                          ,...-*†¤#@
@%%*~-~¨¨.                                          .¨¨~-~*%%@
##¶£%†:~-,                                          ,-~:†%£¶##