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