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