@&$^*«,...                                          ...,«*^$&@
#@&$^*«,..                                          ..,«*^$&@#
##@&$^*«,.                                          .,«*^$&@##
#@&$^*«,..                                          ..,«*^$&@#
@&$^*«,...                                          ...,«*^$&@
&$^*«,....         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ....,«*^$&
$^*«,.....         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         .....,«*^$
&$^*«,....         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ....,«*^$&
@&$^*«,...         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ...,«*^$&@
#@&$^*«,..         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ..,«*^$&@#
##@&$^*«,.         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         .,«*^$&@##
#@&$^*«,..  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ..,«*^$&@#
@&$^*«,...  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ...,«*^$&@
&$^*«,....         *        AT ALL...     *         ....,«*^$&
$^*«,.....         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .....,«*^$
@%^:~~¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨~~:^%@
#@@§\~~¨,¨     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,     ,¨.~\§*¤##
##@&*$=-,.   .~-DARK~WOLVESǬCLIMBING~OUT-OF,,,-    .,-=$*&@##
#@§*$*«,.,    »««THE»POOL,-SURROUNDING\THEM^-^^†    ,.,«*$*§@#
#£%$\=.¨¨.    *SUDDEN*THOUGHTS\OF-»*CLIMBING†**     .¨¨.=\$%£#
§¤**»....¨   INTO$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.       ¨,.,^~\*&¤
$%=»,.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.,»=%$
§£†\»,¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨,»\†£§
@¤@†/~.¨..                                          ..¨.~/†@¤@
#£¤%†;~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~;†%¤£#
##@&@%=»~.                                          .~»=%@&@##