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