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