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