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