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