#@@§%%/~.,                                          ,.~/%%§@@#
@§§§%%/~.,                                          ,.~/%%§§§@
@@%//~.,,,                                          ,,,.~//%@@
§%%//~,,,,                                          ,,,,~//%%§
§%%%%/...,                                          ,.../%%%%§
##@§%%/~.,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,.~/%%§@##
@§%//...,,         / 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.        ..¨¨«-*¤##
¶##%=:,,.,                                          ,.,,:=%##¶
@@@#$%=«-.                                          .-«=%$#@@@
##£&¤*†-,.                                          .,-†*¤&£##
£¤£&%†:~:.                                          .:~:†%&£¤£
##@#*%;=:¨                                          ¨:=;%*#@##