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