#§¤^†»^,,,                                          ,,,^»†^¤§#
§¤^†»^,,,,                                          ,,,,^»†^¤§
¤^†»^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^»†^¤
§¤^†»^,,,,                                          ,,,,^»†^¤§
#§¤^†»^,,,                                          ,,,^»†^¤§#
@#§¤^†»^,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,^»†^¤§#@
#@#§¤^†»^,         † 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.       ,.^»\^§@##
##@¤%=†«.,                                          ,.«†=%¤@##
###§*;--,,                                          ,,--;*§###
#¤$*†=:,.,                                          ,.,:=†*$¤#
¤§^\~:¨.,,                                          ,,.¨:~\^§¤
$^/«~¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨~«/^$