@#&&§*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*§&&#@
#@#&§*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*§&#@#
@&§**==-,¨                                          ¨,-==**§&@
&*--¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨--*&
#@#&§*=-,¨                                          ¨,-=*§&#@#
@#&§§*=-,¨         # -------------------- #         ¨,-=*§§&#@
&§§§**=-,¨         = 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.       .,«=^£#@##
¶#$%~.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.~%$#¶
##@§¤%/=^.                                          .^=/%¤§@##
#@@#$$=~,¨                                          ¨,~=$$#@@#
@**\~«.,.¨                                          ¨.,.«~\**@
£¤=«««,¨,.                                          .,¨,«««=¤£