##§@§=«~,,                                          ,,~«=§@§##
###§@§=«~,                                          ,~«=§@§###
##§@§=«~,,                                          ,,~«=§@§##
#§@§=«~,,,                                          ,,,~«=§@§#
§@§=«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«=§@§
@§=«~,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,~«=§@
§=«~,,,,,,         = 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.  ¨,...¨-==^
$§/~~..,,¨       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¨,,..~~/§$
#£*=«.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.«=*£#
#@£=^~,,..                                          ..,,~^=£@#
###&**~:.¨                                          ¨.:~**&###
##¶££*\«~¨                                          ¨~«\*££¶##
#¶§$%;=:.,                                          ,.:=;%$§¶#