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