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