##£&%*:»^,                                          ,^»:*%&£##
#£&%*:»^,,                                          ,,^»:*%&£#
£&%*:»^,,,                                          ,,,^»:*%&£
&%*:»^,,,,                                          ,,,,^»:*%&
%*:»^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^»:*%
*:»^,,,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,,,^»:*
%*:»^,,,,,         : 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.        ¨..»=*£@@#
##¶£$†:»,.                                          .,»:†$£¶##
#@&$§/~~,¨                                          ¨,~~/§$&@#
#§$%=»,..¨                                          ¨..,»=%$§#
@%^:»^.¨,.                                          .,¨.^»:^%@
*^/--¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨--/^*