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