#@@§$%*»,¨                                          ¨,»*%$§@@#
##@§$%*»,¨                                          ¨,»*%$§@##
#@§§$%*»,¨                                          ¨,»*%$§§@#
§$$$*,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,*$$$§
###@§%*»,¨                                          ¨,»*%§@###
@$$%»,¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨,»%$$@
§$%%»»»¨¨¨         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         ¨¨¨»»»%%$§
##@§$%*»,¨         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ¨,»*%$§@##
##@§$%*»,¨         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ¨,»*%$§@##
§$$**,,,,¨         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ¨,,,,**$$§
##@§$%*»,¨         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ¨,»*%$§@##
#§$*»,¨¨¨¨ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ¨¨¨¨,»*$§#
##@§$%*»,¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨,»*%$§@##
§$%*,¨¨¨¨¨         *        AT ALL...     *         ¨¨¨¨¨,*%$§
##@§$%*»,¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨,»*%$§@##
@$~«~.¨¨..                                          ..¨¨.~«~$@
###&*==~,.     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.       ..,¨.=/;^#
£@&§@*\~-¨                                          ¨-~\*@§&@£
###&$$:»-.                                          .-»:$$&###
£#@#%^†~~¨                                          ¨~~†^%#@#£
#£¤$£*†--.                                          .--†*£$¤£#
#@#&$*\»~¨                                          ¨~»\*$&#@#