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