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