###%§:~^,,                                          ,,^~:§%###
####%§:~^,                                          ,^~:§%####
###%§:~^,,                                          ,,^~:§%###
##%§:~^,,,                                          ,,,^~:§%##
###%§:~^,,                                          ,,^~:§%###
####%§:~^,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,^~:§%####
###%§:~^,,         : 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. .   ¨...-^%§£@
#¶£*$/~^¨¨          «« ,  -»» .  ~.  .=  »          ¨¨^~/$*£¶#
##£¤%$\~~.    ~   ,^          :                .    .~~\$%¤£##
#££§%*~~,.        ,      .          .      §        .,~~*%§££#
#§%*;».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»;*%§#
#¶£%†;=.¨¨                   ,#,                    ¨¨.=;†%£¶#
##@&@*=~..                                          ..~=*@&@##
#¶&@**-~¨¨                   AND,                   ¨¨~-**@&¶#
¶#§§/=:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:=/§§#¶
#£@@^:=~¨,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,¨~=:^@@£#
##@£%=*=:¨       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¨:=*=%£@##
#¶§¤=^»~,.                                          .,~»^=¤§¶#
#¤$§/~^¨.,                                          ,.¨^~/§$¤#
#¶£$=:~-.,                                          ,.-~:=$£¶#
##¶§$†\-,¨                                          ¨,-\†$§¶##
#¶§£%:«-¨.                                          .¨-«:%£§¶#