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