###@@§†».¨                                          ¨.»†§@@###
@@@†»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»†@@@
###@@§†».¨                                          ¨.»†§@@###
####@@§†»¨                                          ¨»†§@@####
####@§†».¨                                          ¨.»†§@####
@@†.¨¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨.†@@
#@§»»¨¨¨¨¨         † 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,                   .,¨..¨,~%&
¶$%$$$\=,¨                                          ¨,=\$$$%$¶
#§&:»,¨.¨¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨¨.¨,»:&§#
##@#@¤†-:¨       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¨:-†¤@#@##
££=\«~¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨~«\=££
#@&$~,...,                                          ,...,~$&@#
@@@¤$^:=,¨                                          ¨,=:^$¤@@@
#@@§§^;~,¨                                          ¨,~;^§§@@#
##@££%/»~,                                          ,~»/%££@##