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