@¤$%:-,,,,                                          ,,,,-:%$¤@
¤$%:-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-:%$¤
$%:-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-:%$
¤$%:-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-:%$¤
@¤$%:-,,,,                                          ,,,,-:%$¤@
#@¤$%:-,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,-:%$¤@#
##@¤$%:-,,         : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS :         ,,-:%$¤@##
#@¤$%:-,,,         : IN A STALE TIMELINE, :         ,,,-:%$¤@#
@¤$%:-,,,,         :  BRANCHED WAY BACK   :         ,,,,-:%$¤@
¤$%:-,,,,,         :  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  :         ,,,,,-:%$¤
$%:-,,,,,,         :  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  :         ,,,,,,-:%$
¤$%:-,,,,, COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ,,,,,-:%$¤
@¤$%:-,,,,  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ,,,,-:%$¤@
#@¤$%:-,,,         :        AT ALL...     :         ,,,-:%$¤@#
##@¤$%:-,,         # -------------------- #         ,,-:%$¤@##
@¶£§*^~~¨,                                          ,¨~~^*§£¶@
@&£^/»-¨..     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==   ¨¨,¨..~\%*
¤$†\~,...,   »«BEING = STOLEN »- FROM -»- THEM. ¨   ,...,~\†$¤
@#*$/-,...          ~» .  ~=» ¨  =.  ~«  ~          ...,-/$*#@
#@£¤*=~,.,    ~   ~,          ^                ,    ,.,~=*¤£@#
###££%/~^¨        .      ,          ,      *        ¨^~/%££###
#@§£^=«,.¨                                          ¨.,«=^£§@#
@§$%:»,.,,                   ,#¨                    ,,.,»:%$§@
&***--¨..,                                          ,..¨--***&
$$^--,,.,.                   AND,                   .,.,,--^$$
#£$:~-¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨-~:$£#
@&$*/~,.¨.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .¨.,~/*$&@
#@#§$^«,.,       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ,.,«^$§#@#
##@££†=»,,                                          ,,»=†££@##
@£&£%^~..¨                                          ¨..~^%£&£@
@#%^*»-¨..                                          ..¨-»*^%#@
#%†=~-...,                                          ,...-~=†%#
@^†~.,..¨,                                          ,¨..,.~†^@